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Shrinking water levels prompt Great Salt Lake rowers to search elsewhere

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios A rowing community announced this week it was suspending activities on the Great Salt Lake due to diminishing water levels. Why it matters: It's the first time has halted its season in its nearly 20-year existence on account of insufficient water in what's known as west of the Mississippi River. Background: The announcement comes about two months after the U.S. Geological Survey measured the lake's for the second time since July 2021. Water being diverted away from the lake — as a result of increasing consumption and agricultural use — is the main driver for its rapid demise. And during the summer months, much of it evaporates. Utah and the western U.S. are also in the midst of an ongoing megadrought. What they're saying: “I just think it’s tragic that we’ve let this happen," said Michael Spackman, who co-founded Great Salt Lake Rowing in the early 2000s. "We live in the desert, and we’re one of the highest consumers of water in the nation.”Glenn Eurick, an early participant of the group, said they've dealt with fluctuating water levels before, "but not to the point where we just can't row." Flashback: Residents and visitors have rowed the Great Salt Lake for over a century, Spackman noted. Details: Their season typically starts in March and lasts until November, said Irene Lysenko, a coach with the group. Lysenko said leaders made the decision to suspend activities after their boats began scraping the lake bottom last week. At the bare minimum, Lysenko said rowers need 18 inches of water and 20 feet of wide space to row.A woman carrying a shell away from the Great Salt Lake last week. Courtesy Marc Pehkonen. Between the lines: Bonnie Baxter, director of the at Westminster College, said she's noticed the lake becoming more shallow week by week."It's clear that we're not in a situation where we're getting enough water into the [lake]," she said. "We're just going to see it keep going down and down and down."As the lake shrinks, its salt levels rise, Baxter added, meaning rowers could encounter more resistance as they row because the water is "heavier."Politicians and climate scientists have sounded the alarm over the disappearing lake's . In recent years, on how to save it. What's next: Baxter anticipates water levels will rise again next spring when snowmelt flows into the lake.Lysenko said the group has yet to decide where they'll resume rowing. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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