Regarding the development of the northwest quadrant.  Several months ago there was a report on the KSL TV Evening News that  “if new sources of water were not found, the Salt Lake Valley would run out of potable water by 2027.” The water officials quoted in the story represented the Jordan Valley Water District.  The soothing tag to the “news item” was that water officials were acquiring water rights and would develop the necessary resources. The resource identified specifically in the report was “The Bear River.”  

Four times during this last session of the legislature I heard members of that body rise to crow that they could “divert Bear River Water anywhere they wanted to. Apparently, the lessons of last three years fighting the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s pipeline scheme have been lost on Salt Lake City.  The only difference between SNWA’s planned water diversion from the Snake Valley to fuel continued unbridled development in Las Vegas and plans to siphon water from the Bear River to fuel continued unbridled development in the Salt Lake Valley is that the latter plan, from an environmental standpoint would far, far worse! The Bear River supplies more than 65% of the surface water of the Great Salt Lake - one of the greatest avian wildlife areas on the face of the earth. The depletion of this flow could bring about an international ecological calamity many times more damaging than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I can not imagine a greater ecological disaster than removing that much water from the lake and the consequences to the ecosystem and the environment.

The Aral Sea was more than 10 times the size of the Great Salt Lake. Water diversions have all but wiped that huge lake in less than half a century. How long will the Great Salt Lake last if the Bear River is diverted?  What of the bird lie that depends on the lake for its very existence?

If we are to have any hope of avoiding this emerging disaster we have to put pressure on Salt Lake City officials now.

*Statistical overview of The Great Salt Lake

"Over seventy five percent of the western population of Tundra Swans utilize the lake as a primary feeding station during migration. Over 60,000 swans have been observed at a time. The endangered Trumpeter Swan is also known to migrate among this number and transplanted Trumpeter Swans have been establish on the lake as a means of broadening their wintering range.

"Up to five million waterfowl utilize the lake and its marshes during migration each year. Huge numbers of ducks and geese use the lake a principal foraging site. Pintail numbers in late summer historically exceeded a million birds. Green Winged Teal numbers peak at about 600,000 during the molting period. The lake has recorded some of the largest flocks of Goldeneyes and Shovelers ever observed."

"If these statistics are not enough, the marshes and shore lands surrounding the lake are home to the largest shorebird concentrations in the entire world. Many of these birds undertake extraordinary migrations from two to three thousand miles twice a year. Over fifty percent of the world's population of Wilson's phalaropes depend on the Great Salt Lake (500,000). This is the largest staging population in the world.  The largest population in the Pacific flyway of American avocets, 250,000, and Black-necked stilts, 65,000, and over 10 percent of all Red-necked Phalaropes, 280,000, stop over on the Great Salt Lake to take in nourishment before continuing on to other climes.  The lake also hosts the world's largest assemblage of Snowy Plovers (10,000), and the only staging area for the Marbled Godwits (30,000) in the interior United States.  The largest concentrations ever observed of various species were recorded on the lake or adjoining marsh lands including over thirty thousand Long Billed Dowitchers."  The marshes have also become an important habitat for wintering Bald Eagles and other raptors.

The Great Salt Lake should be included for protection under international treaties established for migrating avian populations. The fact that it has not been is a disgrace that will continue to blot and condemn the environmental policy in this country until it is remedied.

Gerald McDonough