Great Salt Lake Water Level Update | June 18, 2026 — Headed for a New Record Low This Summer

The Great Salt Lake has dropped 6.5 feet below its healthy level by June 2026, with water levels falling below the critical 4,192-foot threshold where brine shrimp and brine flies begin dying off, exposing toxic dust containing arsenic and mercury that affects 2.5 million residents; this decline is primarily caused by human water diversion, with 71% of diverted water going to agriculture (80% for alfalfa and hay), and the lake's terminal nature (no outlet to the sea) means water loss is irreversible, threatening both local ecosystems and global seafood supply chains.