The Once and Future Lake

An anthology honoring Great Salt Lake in all its beauty and a call to action to save the lake--and ourselves.

"A politically conscious collection making a difference in the open space of democracy."

--Terry Tempest Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Hour of Land and Refuge

Although it is one of the largest saltwater lakes on Earth, most people only know Utah's Great Salt Lake from the window of a plane... if they know it at all.

For thousands of years, Great Salt Lake has played a surprisingly central role in the lives of humans and animals across entire continents. More than 10 million migratory birds--330 separate species--depend on the lake as they traverse North and South America each year, just as their varied ecosystems depend on the birds themselves. The value lake's annual economic impact--on skiing, tourism, and other industries--is measured in the billions. And, by its very existence, Great Salt Lake keeps huge swathes of the western United States habitable by keeping naturally occurring arsenic, toxic dust, and other health hazards trapped safely in the earth.

In late 2022, Great Salt Lake reached its lowest levels in recorded history. New research models show that the lake could vanish entirely within five years. In The Once and Future Lake, many of the West's leading scientists, writers, and advocates have come together to explore and celebrate this singular, complex ecosystem. Despite the urgent challenges facing the lake, we have an unprecedented opportunity to make Great Salt Lake one of the biggest success stories in the history of conservation. Rewilding and restoring Great Salt Lake is not only possible, it's essential.

It's time to act like our lives depend on it. Because they do.