From the depths of Utah’s brutal drought comes a small win for the beloved Great Salt Lake.
Thanks to an impressive winter water season that has seen plenty of snow and rain, officials say the lake has risen a foot since the historic low that was reached in early November 2022.
While the lake usually rises about two feet during the winter due to normal precipitation, it hadn’t risen over a foot in that same period over the last two years, meaning this year’s rise is something to cheer.
“To have it already have gone up as much as it did last year, and we’re not done with the winter season yet, again, that’s good news,” said Laura Haskell, drought coordinator with Utah’s Division of Water Resources.
A tweet from the Utah Department of Natural Resources calling the rise “good news” was retweeted by Gov. Spencer Cox.
“As we continue to work on finding solutions to bring more water to Great Salt Lake, we’re happy to see this small rise in lake level & are looking forward to spring runoff!” the Utah Division of Water Resources tweeted.
The news follows last week’s announcement that no part of the state is currently under exceptional drought status, although the majority of Utah is still facing severe drought conditions.
[Read more: Scientists sounded the alarm about the Great Salt Lake. Are lawmakers listening?]
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.