Collaborative water release from Pineview Reservoir waterline project delivers nearly 10,000 acre-feet to Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY – The Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust and Great Salt Lake Rising have partnered for a strategic water release from Willard Bay, largely driven by construction on the Pineview Reservoir waterline project. The timely release will deliver nearly 10,000 acre-feet of water directly to Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands during peak fall bird migration. (Ten thousand acre-feet of water is about 3.26 billion gallons and would fill about 4,934 Olympic-sized swimming pools.)
“This water release highlights the crucial importance of collaboration to support and sustain the Great Salt Lake. The health of the lake is bigger than all of us, and it will take all of us continuing to work together to help restore it,” said Hannah Freeze, Great Salt Lake Commissioner.
Water releases during the pipeline construction were directed to Willard Bay. A large portion of the water was leased from Ogden River Water Users Association and was released in combination with water leased from Huntsville Abbey Farm, LLC and water committed by Ogden City. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District was key in facilitating the delivery of the water from Willard Bay to Willard Spur in Great Salt Lake.
Utah has taken significant action over the past several years to stabilize and improve lake health, including agricultural optimization projects, secondary metering, invasive vegetation removal and improved wetland management. Through new voluntary water leasing opportunities, the state has partnered with nonprofit, private and agricultural organizations to lease and deliver water directly to the lake.
“Releasing water flows to Willard Spur – especially in fall — is crucial to preserving Great Salt Lake’s health,” said Marcelle Shoop, Executive Director of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust. “National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, as leaders of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, are excited to be a part of this cooperative effort to bolster voluntary water leasing efforts already underway for the lake.”
“Weber Basin Water Conservancy District is proud to facilitate this release of water to benefit Great Salt Lake,” said Scott Paxman, General Manager of Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. “Through innovative partnerships like this one, we can extend the impact of our water management and utilize our infrastructure to make deliveries like this possible to support the health of Great Salt Lake and Willard Spur.”
The water release was also done in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which manages Willard Spur and Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Areas. Fall waterbird migration is a particularly important time for water deliveries that enhance food and habitat for millions of waterfowl and shorebirds as they stop over at the lake on their journey across the Pacific Flyway to wintering grounds.
The Pineview Water Line Project (officially the Ogden Canyon 36-Inch Pipeline Replacement) is a $100 million infrastructure upgrade managed by the City of Ogden. The project entails replacing a 6.4-mile transmission pipeline that supplies approximately half of the drinking water for over 120,000 residents across Ogden and neighboring communities.
B-Roll & Interviews
Pre-release (July 16) and current water release (Sept. 30) footage along with interviews can be found here.
About the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner
In 2023, the Utah Legislature created the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. The commissioner is tasked with developing and maintaining a strategic plan and coordinating collaborative work among all agencies and interests in relation to the lake.
About the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust
Guided by the leadership of the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust was established and funded by the State of Utah as a strategy to help address the water challenges facing Great Salt Lake and its wetlands through innovative partnerships and water projects.
Media Contacts
Kim Wells
Utah Department of Natural Resources
801-803-0336, [email protected]
Shaela Adams
Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust
801-809-5805, [email protected]
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