1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

Oppose H.B. 501 to Protect Great Salt Lake Ecosystem I urge you to oppose H.B. 501 in the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee. This water modifications bill threatens the Great Salt Lake ecosystem at a time when the lake desperately needs protection, not further depletion. The Great Salt Lake has already lost approximately 73% of its water and 60% of its surface area since the 1980s. This bill would exacerbate water diversions away from the lake, accelerating its decline and threatening the millions of migratory birds that depend on it as a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway. Species including eared grebes, Wilson's phalaropes, and American avocets rely on the brine shrimp and alkali flies that can only survive if the lake maintains adequate water levels and salinity balance. H.B. 501 passed the House on February 25, 2026 with a vote of 59-13-3, but the Senate has an opportunity to reconsider the long-term consequences. The bill affects multiple sections of Utah Code governing water rights and municipal water systems, potentially enabling further water withdrawals that would harm the lake. When the Great Salt Lake dries up, it exposes toxic dust containing arsenic and heavy metals that pose serious health risks to the two million Utahns living along the Wasatch Front. The economic impact cannot be ignored either. The Great Salt Lake generates $1.3 billion annually for Utah's economy through mineral extraction, brine shrimp harvesting, and recreation. Allowing the lake to continue shrinking jeopardizes these industries and the jobs they support. I ask you to vote against H.B. 501 when it comes before your committee. Utah cannot afford to pass legislation that prioritizes short-term water diversions over the ecological and economic health of the Great Salt Lake. The lake's survival depends on protecting every possible water source, not creating new pathways for depletion.