HCR 9 Concurrent Resolution Addressing the Great Salt Lake
HCR 9 is a concurrent resolution urging the federal government to provide significant financial and policy support to help stabilize and restore the Great Salt Lake. The resolution outlines the lake’s national and regional importance, highlighting its role as a critical ecological resource, economic driver, and strategic asset. It notes that the Great Salt Lake supports major industries, including mineral extraction, fertilizer production, and the brine shrimp industry that sustains global aquaculture, while also serving as essential habitat for more than 10 million migratory birds. The resolution emphasizes the lake’s proximity to major federal infrastructure investments such as Hill Air Force Base, federal judicial facilities, highways, and the Salt Lake City International Airport.
The resolution describes the rapid decline of the lake, losing more than half of its historic area and water volume as a serious environmental and economic threat driven by drought, population growth, and increasing demands on tributary water supplies. If the decline continues, the resolution warns it could threaten public health, infrastructure, and regional economies, including through toxic dust emissions from exposed lakebed sediments that may contribute to air pollution and snowpack melt.
The resolution also highlights steps Utah has already taken to address the crisis, including water conservation efforts, policy modernization, restoration investments, and voluntary contributions of water and funding from private entities, philanthropists, and religious institutions. These efforts, according to the Legislature, demonstrate the state’s commitment to restoring the lake but also underscore the scale of resources required to succeed.
In response, the resolution calls on the President, Congress, and federal agencies to partner with Utah by providing substantial financial assistance and technical support. It proposes establishing a federal–state memorandum of understanding that would outline cost-sharing commitments, restoration timelines, and milestones, including progress leading up to the 2034 Winter Olympics. The Legislature stresses that any federal involvement should supplement, not replace, Utah’s existing efforts, respect state water law and local decision-making, and prioritize voluntary and market-based water solutions.
Ultimately, the resolution serves as a formal request for federal partnership in what Utah lawmakers frame as both a national environmental challenge and an opportunity to demonstrate collaborative restoration ahead of the 2034 Olympic Games.
Sponsors
Rep. Elison
Sen. Sandall
Position
Support
Status - Passed
1/30 Introduced
2/26 House Natural Resources. Substituted. Passed. Favorable Recommendation 9-0-5
3/3 House 3rd Reading. Substituted. Passed 70-1-4
3/4 Senate Judiciary. Passed. Favorable Recommendation 6-0-3
3/6 Senate 2nd 3rd Reading. Passed 26-1-2
