Attention on the Great Salt Lake only continues to increase. An invasive reed-like plant called phragmites is taking over and sucking up a considerable amount of the Great Salt Lake’s water. This plant consumes the shores of the lake and is partly responsible for the depletion of the water. 

A request for a $500,000 fund to help was made but shot down. While this number looks intimidating, it is only 0.00017% of the $29.4 billion budget for 2024. The governor’s budget allegedly does not fit this request. This extreme destruction of the lake can lead to major issues for the ecosystem and to the communities of Salt Lake City. Not only is this weed threatening the water levels of our beloved lake, but it is also a threat to the natural topography of the surrounding area. 

While this said removal is expensive and outside of Governor Spencer Cox’s budget, it is very crucial to saving our environment. 

The repercussions of the lake drying up are too extreme to ignore. If the Great Salt Lake were to dry up, dangerous toxins would be released that are incredibly harmful to public health. Not only would it impact us, but it is also threatening to ecosystems. Many animals, such as birds, rely on the Great Salt Lake. 

As well as these aspects, the Great Salt Lake acts as one of Salt Lake City’s biggest tourist attractions. A decrease in tourism can affect the economy. 

We need to jump on any opportunities to help stop the extinction of the lake. Especially for how impactful phragmites are, action must be taken. We cannot rely on other options that are theoretical while we have this option. 

This should not even be a debate whether or not we act on this invasive weed eradication or not. This issue is too substantial to disregard and the fund for the weed eradication should be on the Governor’s list to approve.