Saline Lakes Network
Connecting Lakes. Coordinating Solutions.
Great Salt Lake is not alone. Around the globe, nearly all the world’s 120 major saline lakes are in some state of collapse due to unsustainable water use. These lakes, which account for 44% of the volume in all lakes worldwide,[1] are especially vulnerable because they sit at the ends of watersheds and receive what’s left after human use.
The decline of saline lakes has severe consequences—hazardous dust storms, ecosystem and habitat loss, public health risks, agriculture degradation, and economic disruption. From Mono Lake to the Aral Sea to Mar Chiquita, saline lakes face common challenges—and shared opportunities for recovery. Yet, to date, no saline lake has been fully restored. The need for collaboration has never been greater.
The Saline Lakes Network is our effort to build a coalition of legal and policy experts, researchers, advocates, and policymakers working on saline lake restoration. We believe that collaboration increases the chances of saving saline lakes worldwide—and that lessons learned from one lake can inform and accelerate progress at others.
Our Saline Lakes Network Work
We are building a coalition rooted in shared learning, legal and policy strategy, cross-lake research, and collective support. Over the past year, our efforts have included:
-
In September 2024, we co-sponsored Salt Lakes in Crisis: Legal Responses to Ecological Catastrophes at UC Davis School of Law. The event brought together lawyers, scientists, tribal leaders, journalists, and saline lake experts from across the Western Hemisphere. Several articles grew out of this convening including Great Salt Lake and the New Water Security, co-authored by Professor Brig Daniels, Professor Beth Parker, and Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed.
-
We are developing partnerships with experts focused on saline lake restoration, including experts from Stanford University, UC Davis, Florida State University, Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Mono Lake (California), Walker Lake (Nevada), Mar Chiquita Lake (Argentina) and others.
-
We are working with national partners to support the creation of a U.S. saline lakes rescue program to ensure that saline lakes are prioritized in federal funding initiatives and conservation research and strategies.
-
Our goals for the Saline Lakes Network include:
- Annual Saline Lakes Summit, with the first to be hosted by the Great Salt Lake Project at the S.J. Quinney College of Law in May 2026
- Supporting and facilitating cross-lake research and comparative case studies
- Launching a shared research library and policy repository among saline lakes experts