As the Sundance Film Festival kicks off its final edition in Park City, Utah, a new documentary has emerged that shines a spotlight on the impending ecological disaster unfolding in the state’s backyard. “The Lake,” directed by Abby Elli, paints a grim picture of the precipitous decline of the Great Salt Lake, a natural wonder that faces the very real threat of disappearing within a matter of years.
The film, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, serves as a cautionary tale, warning of the devastating consequences if drastic action is not taken to curb the overuse of water that has already resulted in the lake losing 73% of its water and 60% of its surface area since the 1980s. Scientists, such as ecologist Ben Abbott from Brigham Young University, describe the situation as an “environmental nuclear bomb” that threatens the health and well-being of the 2.8 million residents in the region.
The implications of the Great Salt Lake’s demise are far-reaching. Toxic dust clouds laden with mercury, arsenic, and selenium from the desiccated lakebed would increase pollution in a city already grappling with air quality worse than Los Angeles, leading to respiratory and cancer-related issues. The disappearance of the lake would also spell disaster for the local economy, costing billions in lost revenue from the lucrative mineral extraction and the threatened ski conditions at nearby resorts.
The documentary traces the different approaches to governance and advocacy, with scientists like Abbott calling for a radical overhaul of the state’s water usage, which diverts more than 80% of the lake’s natural inflow to agriculture. Meanwhile, state officials, such as Brian Steed, the first Great Salt Lake commissioner, pursue a more moderate approach, seeking compromise with farmers whose livelihoods depend on water access.
As the film highlights, the changes required to save the Great Salt Lake are massive, and the stakes are dire. The documentary includes footage from a roundtable convened by Governor Spencer Cox last September, where $200 million in philanthropic funds were dedicated to the cause, with a goal of reaching healthier lake levels by 2034 – the same year Salt Lake City is set to host the Winter Olympics once again.
The fate of the Great Salt Lake and the many whose lives revolve around it remains precarious. But as “The Lake” suggests, there is still hope, if the state and its residents can come together to implement the necessary solutions to this impending ecological crisis.
