The Lake Affects Everything From Industry to Wildlife
Having the lake get this low isn’t just a worrisome sign of how dry Utah is right now. The lake generates around $1.3 billion per year from various industries. Roughly $1.1 billion of that comes from minerals extraction, but recreation and brine shrimp farming also play key economic roles for the region.
Falling lake levels also mean that the animals living in and around the lake are facing challenges. New stretches of land allow for predators like foxes and coyotes to be able to prey on pelican eggs. The shrinking lake has also raised the risks of wildlife-human interaction for even before the latest dip in lake levels.
In 2019, officials put up fences around Antelope Island, a state park in the lake that’s home to a herd of bison and other large animals like wild sheep. Low water levels had turned the island into a peninsula, more easily allowing the megafauna to wander away and into the surrounding area. Officials suspected a respiratory disease that killed a number of wild sheep likely came from a wild animal coming in contact with a domesticated herd.
