SALT LAKE CITY — Feb. 27, 2026 — The Utah State Legislature introduced a resolution to urge the federal government to help Utah in its efforts to reverse the Great Salt Lake’s decline on Thursday, following a meeting between President Donald Trump and Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Saturday.
House Concurrent Resolution 9 formally recognizes the rapid decline of Great Salt Lake as an urgent environmental, public health, and economic threat, and states that restoring the lake will cost between $2-$10 billion. The resolution says that federal assistance should supplement the state’s already existing initiatives to restore Great Salt Lake through voluntary and market-based solutions.
“I think this resolution represents a major leap forward. This is more than just a Utah problem,” said Dr. Ben Abbott, a BYU ecologist and executive director of Grow the Flow. “To restore America’s lake, we need the whole country involved, especially Idaho and Wyoming. To see such a comprehensive overview of the issue and clear call to action about the solution is incredibly encouraging.”
While Great Salt Lake’s entire shoreline is within Utah, its watershed spans across several western states. Great Salt Lake affects air quality for millions of Americans, sustains major Western industries, supports a multi-billion dollar regional economy, and contributes to nearly half of the region’s precipitation. But Great Salt Lake has shrunk to roughly half of its historic size due to prolonged drought and upstream water use.
President Trump recognized the urgency of the crisis in a post on Truth Social following his meeting with Gov. Cox: “This is an Environmental hazard that must be worked on, IMMEDIATELY.”
“The resolution is a critical step in the lake’s rescue, signaling unified state leadership and a coordinated understanding of the lake’s decline,” said Katie Dunn, project manager for Grow the Flow. “Without federal coordination, it’s unlikely Utah will secure the water it needs.”
HCR 9 (Rep. Elison, R-Toquerville) was introduced as a resolution asking Congress to balance the federal budget, but it was substituted and repurposed to address Great Salt Lake following renewed federal attention. Lawmakers amended the resolution late in the session, transforming it into a formal request for federal partnership on lake restoration.
