A Smarter Way to Protect the Great Salt Lake!

Plant Grass, Save Utah: A Smarter Way to Protect the Great Salt Lake!

Utahns, the Great Salt Lake needs us, but refilling it isn’t the only answer nor a quick answer! Yes, dust from the lake’s dry bed carries arsenic, and air quality matters—but the hype about a health crisis is bigger than the facts. Instead of pouring billions into a lake that traps water for years, let’s plant more grass and plants with Flowscaping to grow rain, clean our air, and save the lake smarter. Grass is Utah’s secret weapon to keep our $1.9 billion lake economy thriving and our lungs healthy. Here’s why Flowscaping beats refilling the lake for a brighter, greener future!

A Smarter Way to Protect the Great Salt Lake!

The Dust Scare: Real but Overblown

The Great Salt Lake’s shrinking bed (800 square miles exposed) kicks up dust with arsenic and metals, linked to asthma or heart issues. But studies show we don’t know how much dust we’re breathing or if it’s truly harmful—unlike smog or wildfire smoke, which hit hospitals harder. Refilling the lake to cover dust could take decades and $1 billion, pulling water from farms and cities. There’s a better way: plant grass to tackle dust and water woes at the source, long term, naturally!

Grass Grows Rain, Fills the Lake

Grass is a water-pumping hero! Through evapotranspiration (ET), it sends 3-5 mm of water daily to the sky—way more than gravel or sparse plants. For 600,000 acres, that’s 324,000-540,000 acre-feet of vapor a year, fueling 40% of Utah’s rain and snow. This adds 7-25% more precipitation (up to 3 inches, or 10-30 inches in mountains), sending 129,600-216,000 acre-feet to the lake’s rivers. That’s 25-40% of what the lake needs to hit a healthy 4,200 feet, without stealing water from farmers or homes, long term, naturally!

Refilling the lake needs 1 million acre-feet yearly, hurting our $0.5 billion farm economy. Flowscaping’s extra rain lets farms use less water (saving 70,000-140,000 acre-feet), so more flows to the lake naturally. Plus, grass pulls Pacific moisture to Utah, boosting lake-effect snow to keep the lake full long-term.

Grass Cleans Air, Cuts Dust

Through photosynthesis, grass traps 702,000 tons of CO₂ a year across 600,000 acres, cooling Utah and slowing lake evaporation. Its roots hold soil tight, cutting dust 20-30%—not just from the lake but from yards and fields. Unlike refilling, which only hides lake dust after a 10-foot rise, grass cleans our air now, easing asthma and hospital visits (40% higher on bad air days). Refilling costs billions; planting grass and plants can be as little as $50-100 per acre!

Fast Water, Lasting Impact

Grass works fast, cycling water to the sky in 24-48 hours and back as rain in 7-8 days. The Great Salt Lake? It holds water for 5-10 years, with only 5-10% turning into local rain. Grass keeps water moving, Recycling the water over and over very quickly, adding 129,600-216,000 acre-feet to the lake’s rivers, unlike refilling’s slow trap. It also saves 42,000-84,000 acre-feet of runoff that would be lost. This fast cycle beats the lake’s sluggish system, ensuring an dgrowing more rainfall for our future.

Fixing Xeriscaping’s Mistake

Since 1981, xeriscaping’s gravel and low-water plants stole 5-17 inches of rain by 2025, dropping the lake 2-3 feet. Flowscaping’s grass brings back 7-25% more rain, raising lake levels 1-2 feet by 2075. It’s the fix we need, not a billion-dollar short term refill that fights immediate drought and prevents growth.

Saving Utah’s Lake Industries

Flowscaping keeps the lake’s $1.9 billion economy strong:

• Minerals: More water helps Compass Minerals and US Magnesium pull fertilizer and magnesium, saving $1-2 million.

• Brine Shrimp: Lower salinity (from 19% to 13-15%) boosts harvests by $10-15 million for Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative.

• Ski Resorts: 10-30 inches more snow adds $50-100 million for Snowbird and Alta.

• Farms: Extra rain saves Cache Valley farmers 70,000-140,000 acre-feet, sending more water to the lake.

Refilling could hurt farms by cutting their water, but Flowscaping helps everyone without trade-offs.

Your Call to Action

Utahns, let’s Flowscape our state! Plant grass like Kentucky bluegrass and beautiful plants, bushes and trees in yards and parks. Cover bare dirt with plants. Ditch xeriscaping’s dusty gravel. Every leaf and blade grows rain (3-5 mm/day), cleans air (702,000 tons CO₂), and saves the Great Salt Lake faster than refilling. Join the movement to protect our lake, health, and economy. Grab a shovel, plant grass and plants, and let’s make Utah bloom more rain! 🌱💧A Smarter Way to Protect the Great Salt Lake!