Click to access: USGS Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
Dear FRIENDS,
We would like to share some recent updates on the Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) project, which is being conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in response to low levels in terminal lakes across the Great Basin. The USGS recently published the Saline Lake Ecosystems Science Strategy, incorporating feedback from stakeholder engagement meetings held in 2022 which FRIENDS contributed to. This strategy reflects the complexity and importance of the terminal lakes, especially as they relate to water availability and waterbird habitat.
For the 2024 fiscal year, Congress has appropriated $1.75 million for this project. The USGS team is currently in the field collecting data and samples, focusing on monitoring sites that represent the diverse habitat conditions of the Great Basin.
The project aims to answer scientific questions in three main areas:
- Waterbird Habitat Condition and Use: Examining how lake ecosystem characteristics affect waterbird use and response.
- Water Availability: Assessing the status of water quantities and qualities, and how they are impacted by various factors such as drought and human activities.
- Terminal Lake and Waterbird Habitat Resiliency: Investigating how resilient the Great Basin's terminal lake ecosystems and their dependent waterbirds are to climate and human impacts.
The USGS will provide updates on their activities through the USGS Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA Website and a planned virtual public lecture series. They are also developing a factsheet with additional information on the project work plan. If you have any questions about the project, you can contact the Saline Lake Ecosystems IWAA team at SalineLakeEcosystemsIWAA@usgs.gov.
FRIENDS is excited about this ongoing research and its potential impact on our understanding of these vital ecosystems, including Great Salt lake. We will continue to contribute and keep you informed of any significant developments in this important project.