Ways NOT to Save the Great Salt Lake

When I worked for the Bureau of Reclamation, I was occasionally accused of thinking too far outside the box.  But most of my ideas had the potential to be feasible.  

That is not the case for recently publicized suggestions for saving the Great Salt Lake (GSL).  Three are not economically and environmentally viable. The fourth is idiotic and misses the mark.  These alternatives need to be discarded from serious consideration. 

The most obvious of those that should be ignored include:

1. Pumping ocean water to GSL using solar power (or any power for that after)
2. Pumping groundwater using nuclear power
3. Importing water from the Missouri/Mississippi drainage
4. Constructing more dams (proposed by Utah Senator Lee)

A fourth proposal calls for more cloud seeding. This proposal can potentially increase snowpack but not enough to make a significance difference. 

Improving on-farm irrigation efficiencies will only work if the “saved” water is left in the river to flow to GSL. It must be remembered that one man’s waste is another man’s water supply. 

Reducing residential indoor water use only helps a little.  Indoor usage is mostly nonconsumptive.   After being treated it can be returned to the environment. 

The only viable option is to purchase or lease agriculture water and insure the water reaches GSL. 

Saving the Great Salt Lake According to ChatGPT

How can we save the Great Salt Lake?

Saving the Great Salt Lake requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the various threats facing the lake, such as water diversions, habitat loss, and pollution. Some of the actions that can be taken to help preserve the lake include:

1. Reducing water diversions: Governments and water management agencies can work together to reduce the amount of water being taken from the lake and its tributaries.
2. Protecting habitats: Preserving wetlands and other habitats around the lake can help maintain its ecological health.
3. Controlling pollution: Effective regulation of point and non-point sources of pollution, such as agricultural runoff and industrial discharge, is crucial to keeping the lake clean.
4. Promoting public awareness: Educating the public about the importance of the lake and its ecosystem, and encouraging responsible use of its resources, can help ensure its future.
5. Supporting scientific research: Ongoing research can provide valuable insights into the health of the lake and inform efforts to conserve it.

While saving the Great Salt Lake will require a collective effort, it is a crucial step in preserving one of the world’s unique and important ecosystems

Benefits of Outdoor Playground Equipment

According to ChatGPT, outdoor playgrounds offer many benefits including:

1. Physical activity: Outdoor play helps children get exercise and build motor skills, which is important for their overall health and development.
2. Socialization: Playgrounds provide opportunities for children to interact with others and develop social skills.
3. Cognitive development: Outdoor play can stimulate children’s imagination and creativity, and promote problem-solving skills.
4. Fresh air and vitamin D: Being outside in the sun provides children with fresh air and the opportunity to get vitamin D, which is essential for good health.
5. Mental health: Outdoor play has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s mental health and can help reduce stress and anxiety.
6. Environmental awareness: Playing in nature can help children develop a connection to and appreciation for the environment.

Saving the Great Salt Lake

The Bear River provides about 50 percent of the inflow to the Great Salt Lake. The Bear meanders through 3 States. It is born in Utah’s Uintah Mountains. On its way to the Great Salt Lake, it crosses state boundaries 5 times. The river generates hydropower and irrigates farms. Hydropower is a nonconsumptive use. That can’t be said for irrigation.

Water in the GSL is at historic lows and that sparking serious environmental concerns. The only real fix is to put more water in the lake. The Bear River needs to provide a major portion of that inflow. The sltrib and others have suggested that the water come from retiring lands currently irrigating alfalfa (lucerne).

My heritage is Cache Valley and irrigated farming, mostly dairy farms that fed the cheese plants in and around Logan. But my father had a hobby farm near Trenton. He raised Angus cattle for beef. Both dairy and beef cows are fed alfalfa, as are horses.

There is currently Federal legislation to provide $25M to study western terminal lakes. That money would be better spent acquiring water rights, principally in the Bear River Basin.

The only real avenue to saving the GSL is to increase the inflow into the lake. If the State Legislature and LDS Church were to each add $25M, that would be a start to saving the GSL.

But what priority should be placed on acquiring or leasing water rights, and retiring lands. Ideally, marginally productive lands should be retired first. Then, irrigated lands that support beef production or alfalfa for export. The marketplace needs to decide.

Water right acquisition was handled very efficiently when the IPP plant was installed in the Delta UT area. It can also be accomplished on the Bear River to save the GSL.

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Railroad Remnants from the Oregon’s Logging Operations, A Photo Essay

West of Portland OR, on the road to Seaside, is a logging-themed restaurant: Camp 18. Engulfing the eating establishment are historic relics from the logging industry, including several railroad hulks.

Steam Crane and Caboose at Camp 18

Steam Crane, Remnant from the Oregon Logging Industry

Watering Tank for Steam Locomotives

Passenger Car in the Yard Around Cafe 18

Interior of Passenger Car

Tank Car

Caboose for the Spokane, Portland and Seattle RR

Train Graveyard in Fort Bragg CA (A Photo Essay)

There are notable rusting railroad hulks in Northern California. The current manifestation of the railway line is the Skunk Train. But historically, it was the California Western. A few cars are readily observable; others are behind a wire fence.

Railroad Water Tank in Fort Bragg CA

Rusting Railroad Crane

Old Steam Engine Under Repair?

Rusting Passenger Cars in Fort Blagg CA

I’m Not Sure What This Is? Steam Engine Missing it’s Cab?

Very Attractive Passenger Trolly

Elder Gong Gets It

In a LDS General Conference talk (Spring 2021), Elder Gong emphasizes that the Church has an expanding global population:

Since 1998, more church members have lived outside than inside the United States and Canada. By 2025, we anticipate as many church members may live in Latin America as in the United States and Canada.

The reason for this:

Birthrates in developed countries are declining. Birthrates in developing countries are still high. Missionary work in developed countries has stalled. Proselyting in some developing countries is having good success.

These demographic trends are leading to a completely different Church dynamic. And could certainly impact Church finances. It also enlarges our responsibilities as members.

Medieval Technology on Display at Bolivian Gristmill

In the mountains east of Uyuni, Bolivia, is an operating grist watermill that uses medieval technology brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Falling water turns a water wheel which in turn rotates a grinding wheel.

Bolivia’s Medieval Grist Mill

The proprietor of the mill was very excited to show us the inner workings of the mill. Fortunately, the mill had a customer, a woman with a bag of wheat.

Wheat Being Fed into the Millstones

Grain is poured slowly into the center of the revolving stone and is ground between the stones. A steady flow of grain is maintained by vibrating the chute. The coarseness of the flour is determined gap between the two stones.

Abandoned Millstone Outside the Mill

My Most Bizarre Telephone Call

During the Nixon Watergate hearings, I was in US Coast Guard stationed in Wilmington, NC. During my southern sojourn, a woman from Price, Utah, went on the Today Show saying she planned on paddling across the Atlantic Ocean in an aluminum canoe. Unfortunately for us, she planned on launching from Wilmington.

We consulted our lawyers and it was determined that we should do nothing to encourage her voyage, including watching after she had set sail. One day, she and a local man who had agreed to accompany her, showed up at our office. Since I had joined the military in Utah, the commanding officer invited me in for the conversation. After a little back-and-forth, it was clear they had no idea what they were in for. No navigational skills, no appreciation for the power of ocean, poor logistical planning, etc. But they could not be dissuaded.

A day or two later, I was the senior officer left in the office. I got a call from Washington DC. ”Please hold for Senator Erwin.” Sam Erwin was the grandfatherly senator in charge of the Watergate hearings. Because the hearings were bring televised, the North Carolina senator was a national figure and a respected politician.

When he came on the line, he was very polite and requested that we stop the proposed trans-Atlantic trek or at least make sure she stayed safe. I explained that we had been advised by our lawyers to do neither. Legally, we had no authority to stop her. And watching over her might be perceived as providing encouragement. Senator Sam seemed placated, and we politely ended the call

On their first try at oceanic paddling, the pair were hauled back to shore by fisherman. They were both seasick, The local man decided that he had had enough. But the woman made one last furtive try. Again she was rescued by a fishing boat. Thus ends my story. To this day, I wonder if the woman had some religious motive for her proposed venture. But she never alluded to any such motive.

The Railroad Graveyards of Southern Bolivia (A Photo Essay)

In February, 2 Peruvian friends and i travelled to southern Bolivia. One of the surprises for me, were 2 railroad graveyards. The yard in Uyuni is what’s left of a railroad repair facility, abandoned in the 1950’s. The place is impressive in its size.

There Are Nearly 20 Steam Locomotives Relics at the Uyuni Railroad Graveyard

Rusting Hulk of a Steam Locomotive

Rusting Remains of a Passenger Car

Climbing on the Relics is Perfectly Acceptable

The nearby mining town of Pulacayo also has some interesting railroad relics.

Steam Locomotive at Pulacayo

Gotta Love This Small Engine

Interior of Passenger Car Relic

Four Garage Roundhouse in Pulacayo