SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — President Donald Trump officially submitted a $1 billion to restore the Great Salt Lake.
The request comes just over a month after Trump pledged to “make the lake great again.” He added that the lake is an environmental hazard that needed to be addressed immediately.
On social media Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Trump officially requested the funds, saying, “We’re going to fill the lake.”
“The Great Salt Lake fuels our economy and protects the health of millions,” Cox said in his social media statement. “With real federal partnership, we can accelerate water flows, restore ecosystems, tackle invasive species, and address toxic dust.”
The Great Salt Lake’s water level was hovering just above 4,192 feet as of Friday, April 3 – well below the 4,198 feet considered to be the lowest level for optimum lake health.
Lake levels typically see a rise during the spring runoff, but a dry winter produced a record low snowpack. Forecasters said the lake will see only a meager rise in lake levels before summer evaporation shrinks the lake further.
However, Brian Steed, the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, previously shared optimism toward the lake’s future. Before Trump’s request for funding, Steed pointed out how the state legislature changed local laws regarding water and the lake.
“Through leases and acquisition of water rights, we’re actually delivering 160,000 acre feet more water to the lake than we were even three years ago,” said Steed. “I think we’re seeing real positive movement for the lake.”
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Lincoln Graves contributed to this report.