Salt Lake County brought Envision Utah’s display “Visualize Water in the Great Salt Lake Basin” to the North Building in the Government Center. The display, which illustrates the complexity of how water moves through the Great Salt Lake Basin, was developed by Envision Utah to supplement their work on the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan. This display has also been adapted to showcase Salt Lake County’s impact on the regional water system.
“Water conservation is essential to the well‑being of our community. As we continue to grow, we need to use our water resources where they matter most. One of the most critical places is the Great Salt Lake, which is the focus of this display. This year’s dry winter reminds us that it will take all of us working together to conserve water for future years and for the Great Salt Lake.” – Mayor Jenny Wilson
The display uses jars filled with blue marbles to make the Great Salt Lake’s water story tangible and accessible. Each marble represents 10,000 acre-feet of water. One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. The jars illustrate the lake’s inflows, depletions from agricultural and municipal use, and the potential water management strategies that could help the lake recover to healthy levels.
Salt Lake County worked with Envision Utah to visualize a portion of their impact with marbles alongside the display. Salt Lake County is excited to continue being advocates and educators on water conservation for residents and businesses.
See photos and videos of the exhibit here, or in person at the Government Center for the next couple of months.
During the April 21st Salt Lake County Council Meeting, County leaders presented on the County’s water impact efforts. Associate Deputy Mayor Lisa Hartman, Administrative Services Director Megan Hillyard, and Environmental Sustainability Director Emily Paskett led the presentation. Envision Utah CEO Jason Brown also spoke about the display now on view in the Government Center North Atrium building. The display is part of a broader Salt Lake County effort on water conservation education.
“This year’s low snowpack is a clear reminder of how important it is for all of us to pay attention to our water use, and as a County that operates more than 140 facilities, we’re trying to lead by example by making smart, efficient choices in our buildings, landscapes, and operations. We prioritize high‑efficiency fixtures, drought‑tolerant landscaping, leak detection, and monitoring of our water consumption, because how we manage water at every site adds up in a big way for our regional water systems and growing communities.” – Megan Hillyard, Administrative Services Director
Three works from the Salt Lake County Visual Art Collection will also be featured alongside the Envision display. Managed by the Salt Lake County Art in Public Places program, each artwork reflects the importance of water and its impact on life in Salt Lake County and the Great Salt Lake. For more information on the new art pieces, visit Salt Lake County’s Arts & Culture webpage.
“The water system of the Great Salt Lake Basin is extremely complex, but we need to understand it in order to make good decisions about how we use and manage water. This display allows people to visually understand how water is used — including current inflows to the lake, current depletions within the watershed, and the impacts of potential strategies to get more water to the lake. This display is intended to increase awareness of and engagement with the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, which is currently underway. Let’s come together to maintain a resilient water supply and high quality of life in the Great Salt Lake Basin!” – Jason Brown, Envision Utah
“Visualize Water in the Great Salt Lake Basin” is on display in the Salt Lake County Government Center, North Building Atrium, at 2001 S State Street, Salt Lake City. The display is free and open to the public during building hours.
For more information on Salt Lake County’s water conservation efforts, visit SLCo.to/water.
