Two Utah Cities Conserve Water to Help Restore Great Salt Lake

Sandy and Salt Lake City residents and businesses conserve enough water to send 2,500 acre-feet annually to the drying lake

Apr. 7, 2026 at 12:53am

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A vast, atmospheric landscape painting depicting the drying, cracked lakebed of the Great Salt Lake under a dramatic, hazy sky, conveying the overwhelming scale of the environmental crisis facing this natural wonder.As the Great Salt Lake recedes, a collaborative effort between cities and residents aims to restore this vital natural resource.Sandy Today

In a first-of-its-kind deal, officials from the state of Utah and the cities of Sandy and Salt Lake City announced a new agreement to get more water to the drying Great Salt Lake. The deal is made possible by homeowners and businesses in the two cities conserving enough water to allow the Metropolitan Water District to send 2,500 acre-feet of water to the lake each year for up to a decade.

Why it matters

The Great Salt Lake has shrunk dramatically in recent years due to drought, climate change, and water redirection for agriculture and other uses. This deal represents a blueprint for broader collaboration to restore the lake, which is crucial for the state's ecosystem and public health as the exposed lakebed contains hazardous metals.

The details

The water conservation trust is paying the Metropolitan Water District an undisclosed sum to send the 2,500 acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake annually. While a small fraction of the 800,000 acre-feet needed to fully restore the lake, officials see this as a model that can be replicated across the Wasatch Front to make a bigger impact. The cities have taken steps like changing water rates and implementing leak alert systems to drive conservation.

  • In 2022, Utah established the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust and changed state law to allow for this type of water lease.
  • The deal was announced on Monday, April 6, 2026.

The players

Hannah Freeze

Deputy Great Salt Lake commissioner.

Joel Ferry

Executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.

Monica Zoltanski

Mayor of Sandy, Utah.

Shaela Adams

Representative of the National Audubon Society.

Tim Hawkes

Member of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust advisory board.

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What they’re saying

“Proof that we are all in this together, and that as we collect our efforts and continue to conserve, we can have an impact on Great Salt Lake.”

— Hannah Freeze, Deputy Great Salt Lake commissioner

“If we were to implement this and duplicate this across the Wasatch Front, the difference it would make would be incredible.”

— Joel Ferry, Executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources

“Utah's proving over time that this is doable, this is solvable. But it's going to take the kind of creative partnerships that we see showcased today.”

— Tim Hawkes, Member of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust advisory board

What’s next

The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust plans to pursue similar water conservation deals with other cities and communities across the Wasatch Front to continue boosting water levels in the lake.

The takeaway

This innovative partnership between state officials, local governments, and conservation groups demonstrates the power of collaborative, community-driven solutions to address the urgent crisis facing the Great Salt Lake. By empowering residents to conserve water, Utah is pioneering a model that could be replicated in other regions struggling with water scarcity and environmental degradation.