Utah Committee Votes to Shut Off Water Flows to the North Arm of the Great Salt Lake

On October 8, the GreatSalt Lake Salinity Advisory Committee voted to raise the berm in the railroadcauseway breach that provides water flows to the Great Salt Lake’s North Arm,which represents 40% of the lake’s surface area. The Utah Division of ForestryFire and Sovereign Lands will now decide if the breach will be closed.

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All of the Great Salt Lake’srivers enter the South Arm, making the North Arm’s existence entirely dependentupon water flowing through this breach in the railroad causeway which dividesthe lake into two sections. The committee recommending raising the berm to 4192feet, two feet above the South Arm’s current water level. This action will cutoff all water flows to the North Arm.

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Over the last few years,Utah has begun closing this breach to keep South Arm salinity from spiking,thereby maintaining aspects of the South Arm ecosystem and related economicactivity. Utah law currentlyrequires that if the breach is closed, it must be reopened to restore waterflows to the North Arm within 18 months.

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In August 2025, Utah legislators ran a bill to change this law so thatthe state could seal up the breach permanently. Under pressure from the GreatSalt Lake Waterkeeper of the Utah Rivers Council, the bill was ultimatelyamended to protect the North Arm. But this proposal to sacrifice 40% of theGreat Salt Lake could resurface. We can’t let that happen. We’ll be keeping aclose eye on Great Salt Lake legislation, and if another bill is run to dry upthe North Arm, we’ll call on you to help us defeat it.

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