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| Dear Friend, |
| Landscapes are changing. “Permanent” features that we’ve taken for granted are in danger. |
| The Great Salt Lake, Utah’s largest city’s namesake, has shrunk by more than two-thirds. If nothing is done in the next five years, we could see a collapse of this key ecosystem and a public health crisis caused by toxic dust storms from the exposed lakebed. |
| Earthjustice is suing the state of Utah to avert disaster. The lawsuit seeks a court order directing Utah’s leaders to ensure that enough water reaches the lake for the people and wildlife that depend on it. |
| Please, help us win this high-stakes fight. |
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| The state of Utah has pushed the Great Salt Lake to the brink of collapse by allowing upstream water users to divert two-thirds of the lake’s water supply annually. As a result, the lake has declined to record low levels. The water that should be safely covering mercury and arsenic deposits is instead feeding bright green lawns and unsustainable agriculture. |
| While the lake’s resources are great, they are not limitless. Instead of implementing conservation policies like those in nearby states, some policy makers are considering diverting even more water, despite one lawmaker saying they’re sitting on an “environmental nuclear bomb.” |
| If the lake continues to decline, salt levels will become so concentrated that the shrimp and flies at the very base of the local food chain will die, triggering an ecological collapse and loss of an important refueling site for 12 million migratory birds. |
| The potential cost to human health is also astronomical, as 2.5 million people risk exposure to neurotoxins like mercury and arsenic, known to interfere with the development of human fetuses, cause loss of muscular control, and contribute to heart attacks, high blood pressure, and asthma. As the lake dries up, these deposits turn to dust and become airborne. Today, Salt Lake City gets about 15 dust storms a year, compared to none 15 years ago. |
| Earthjustice is holding the state of Utah responsible for safeguarding its critical natural resources, and protecting the health of its ecosystems and human population. We have the resources to win these fights only because donors like you choose to support us. |
| We are so grateful for everyone who made a donation during Climate Week — which ended last Sunday. But when the focus shifts and media outlets move on, the climate crisis does not. Your gifts help us fight for a more sustainable future, every day of the year. |
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| Thank you for being a partner in this fight. |
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Sincerely,
Stu Gillespie
Earthjustice Senior Attorney,
Rocky Mountain Office
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