New tool helps visualize water use — and what’s not reaching the Great Salt Lake

If you haven’t been to the Great Salt Lake lately, the impact is hard to miss. Lower water levels, an expanding shoreline, and ongoing concerns about the lake’s future are all on display. Now, Salt Lake County leaders are hoping a new visualization tool will help people better understand why — and what can be done about it.

Inside the Salt Lake County Government Center, a new display uses blue marbles to represent water. Each marble equals about 10,000 acre-feet, giving a visual breakdown of where water goes across the Great Salt Lake Basin, and how much of it never makes it back to the lake.