Director

Utah Division of Water Quality

Bio:

Erica Gaddis, became the Director of the Utah Division of Water Quality in July 2017 after serving as Assistant Director for 2 years. Prior to joining UDEQ, Erica worked as a consultant with expertise in watershed modeling, limnology, water quality, Clean Water Act compliance, nutrient management, and restoration of aquatic systems. Erica holds a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Science from Willamette University in Oregon; a MS from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont, Gund Institute for Ecological Economics with a focus on cost optimization of best management practices to improve water quality. Erica was born and raised in Utah and enjoys living and working in Utah with her husband and three sons.

Title: Partnering in the Salinity Process: Moving Forward With the GSL Salinity Advisory Committee 

Wednesday, May 9th, 3:30 PM

Abstract: A healthy Great Salt Lake provides a wide range of ecological, economical, and recreational benefits. Protecting these diverse benefits for current and future generations presents significant challenges to management agencies. Several federal, state, and local governmental entities have legal responsibilities for protecting these benefits and managing the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. Each of these entities also have unique authorities to implement protections. Therefore, management of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem requires a coordinated and collaborative effort among policy makers, government agencies, and stakeholders. The newly formed Great Salt Lake Salinity Advisory Council is an essential component of this collaborative management process. However, collaborative mechanisms for some aspects of managing the Great Salt Lake ecosystem still need to be implemented or existing mechanisms improved.