PRESS RELEASE: Partnerships Deliver Water from Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake, Advancing Research and Environmental Benefits
Salt Lake City, (September 17, 2025)—As summer winds down, Great Salt Lake will continue to receive a boost as 10,000 acre-feet of new water flows from Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake. This new water is coming from upstream storage in Utah Lake and is flowing through the Jordan River to Great Salt Lake’s Farmington and Gilbert Bays.
This effort is possible thanks to a partnership between the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust), Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church), the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL). National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy lead the Trust.
The water release includes water from the JVWCD and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, totaling 10,000 acre-feet. To put that in perspective, that’s close to 3.26 billion gallons of water, enough for 30,000 U.S. households a year. This is the second consecutive year these partners have released water from Utah Lake to benefit Great Salt Lake.
“We are grateful to be able to contribute to another release of water to Great Salt Lake,” said Alan Packard, General Manager of JVWCD. “Jordan Valley Water remains a dedicated partner to the health of the lake. Our community is taking positive steps to achieve levels of water conservation that are critical for a sustainable future. Releases like this depend on everyone making a consistent commitment to use our limited water resources wisely.”
Great Salt Lake’s declining levels received a lot of attention this summer, especially as Utah continues to face tough drought conditions. While current conditions and disheartening forecasts leave many concerned, the partners involved in this transaction unanimously agree that it is more important than ever to contribute both as individuals, and at the larger organizational level, to the vision and goal of a healthy Great Salt Lake.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes we all have a role to play in caring for our natural environment here in Utah, including the Great Salt Lake. This water lease is one of several projects underway that we hope reflects our commitment to wise stewardship,” states Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. In 2023, Bishop Waddell spoke at the University of Utah about several water conservation projects, including the Church’s donation of 20,000 acre-feet to the Trust. The Church also announced last month that it will complete the installation of 3,000 smart irrigation systems on meetinghouse properties across the Intermountain West by the end of this year.
While there is no overnight solution for the challenges facing Great Salt Lake and no single water release will raise the lake back to healthy elevations, deliberately timing releases can amplify positive impacts.
“Timing the delivery of water and routes to Great Salt Lake can enhance ecological and community benefits, and coordinating this water release to facilitate research in the Lower Jordan River can also identify solutions to improve water quality,” said Marcelle Shoop, Executive Director of the Trust and National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Director. “National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy are eager to see the benefits to the riparian and wetland ecosystems, the birds that are currently here on their fall migration path and other opportunities for communities along the Jordan River and the lake.”
When it comes to helping Great Salt Lake get back to healthy levels, securing more water is widely considered the most effective solution.
“The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust is a crucial tool funded by the Utah Legislature to secure new water for the lake. As a partner of the Trust and the other organizations involved, the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner is excited about how this release and the precedent it sets fit into the state’s strategy to get more water to the lake,” said Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner.
This new water has also provided an opportunity for the Utah Division of Water Quality to conduct the Jordan River Flushing Flow Study—research aimed at better understanding the health of Jordan River’s waters and the impact of using water flows to mitigate adverse ecological conditions, especially in warmer, drier months.
“There has been a need for several years now to conduct this research. The Utah Division of Water Quality is grateful to the Trust, JVWCD, and the Church for this partnership, which has provided the necessary conditions for the Jordan River Flushing Flow Study,” said Sandy Wingert, project manager with Utah Division of Water Quality. “This research will help us glean the best tools and practices to ensure the health of the Jordan River.”
Media Contacts:
Shaela Adams, Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust
shaela.adams@audubon.org; 801-809-5805
Kelly Good, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
kellyg@jvwcd.gov; 801-565-4376
Christopher Moore, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Christopher.Moore@ChurchofJesusChrist.org; 801-240-1000
Kim Wells, Utah Department of Natural Resources
kimwells@utah.gov; 801-803-0336
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands - https://ffsl.utah.gov/
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources - https://wildlife.utah.gov/
UDWQ research vessel on the Jordan River. Photo: Shaela Adams/Audubon