Consequences of Drying Lake Systems around the World Prepared for: State of Utah Great Salt Lake Advisory Council Prepared by: AECOM February 15, 2019 Consequences of Drying Lake Systems around the World Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................... 5 I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 13 II. CONTEXT ................................................................................. 13 III. APPROACH ............................................................................. 16 IV. CASE STUDIES OF DRYING LAKE SYSTEMS ...................... 17 1. LAKE URMIA ..................................................................................................... 17 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 18 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 19 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 20 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 21 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 21 2. ARAL SEA ........................................................................................................ 22 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 22 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 24 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 25 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 25 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 25 3. LAKE POOPÓ .................................................................................................... 26 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 26 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 28 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 28 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 28 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 29 4. OWENS LAKE .................................................................................................... 29 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 29 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 31 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 34 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 35 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 35 5. SALTON SEA ..................................................................................................... 36 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 36 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 38 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 39 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 40 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 41 6. DEAD SEA ........................................................................................................ 42 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 42 State of Utah and Great Salt Lake Advisory Counci AECOM Consequences of Drying Lake Systems around the World b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 44 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 45 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 45 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 45 7. BAKHTEGAN LAKE ............................................................................................ 46 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 46 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 47 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 48 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 48 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 48 8. MONO LAKE ..................................................................................................... 49 a) Overview of Lake Characteristics .................................................................... 49 b) Economic Consequences ............................................................................... 51 c) Social Consequences ..................................................................................... 51 d) Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 51 e) Relevance to Great Salt Lake ......................................................................... 52 V. CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 52 VI. REFERENCES ......................................................................... 54 Figures Figure II-1: Great Salt Lake’s bays and water levels ..................................................... 15 Figure IV-1: Location of Lake Urmia in the basin ........................................................... 18 Figure IV-2: Aral Sea basin ............................................................................................ 23 Figure IV-3: Geographic overview of Lake Poopó ......................................................... 27 Figure IV-4: Owens Lake watershed ............................................................................. 30 Figure IV-5: PM10 dust control measures map ............................................................... 33 Figure IV-6: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) mitigation expenditures .................................................................................................................. 34 Figure IV-7: Salton Sea watershed ................................................................................ 37 Figure IV-8: Dead Sea watershed ................................................................................. 43 Figure IV-9: Bakhtegan Lake watershed ....................................................................... 47 Figure IV-10: Mono Lake ............................................................................................... 50 Tables Table 0-1: Summary of economic, social, and environmental consequences of lake desiccation ...................................................................................................................... 9 Table II-1: Great Salt Lake water diversion by sector .................................................... 16 Table IV-1: Summary of lake characteristics for Lake Urmia prior to desiccation .......... 19 Table IV-2: Summary of consequences from the drying of Lake Urmia ......................... 22 State of Utah and Great Salt Lake Advisory Counci AECOM Consequences of Drying Lake Systems around the World Table IV-3: Summary of lake characteristics for Aral Sea prior to desiccation ............... 24 Table IV-4: Summary of consequences from the drying of Aral Sea .............................. 26 Table IV-5: Summary of lake characteristics for Lake Poopó ........................................ 28 Table IV-6: Summary of consequences from the drying of Lake Poopó ........................ 29 Table IV-7: Summary of lake characteristics for Owens Lake ........................................ 31 Table IV-8: Summary of consequences from the drying of Owens Lake ....................... 36 Table IV-9: Summary of lake characteristics for Salton Sea .......................................... 38 Table IV-10: Summary of consequences from the drying of Salton Sea ........................ 41 Table IV-11: Summary of lake characteristics for Dead Sea .......................................... 44 Table IV-12: Cost estimates for reclamation efforts ....................................................... 44 Table IV-13: Summary of consequences from the drying of Dead Sea ......................... 46 Table IV-14: Summary of lake characteristics for Bakhtegan Lake ................................ 47 Table IV-15: Summary of consequences from the drying of Bakhtegan Lake ............... 49 Table IV-16: Summary of lake characteristics for Mono Lake prior to desiccation