Kazakh fisherman Aidarbek Altay Uly, pictured Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, says that the section of the Aral Sea where he fishes has significantly shrunk in recent years and that the lake's fish are once again disappearing as the water becomes more saline. Abduaziz Madyarov / Special For The Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Kazakh fisherman Aidarbek Altay Uly, pictured Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, says that the section of the Aral Sea where he fishes has significantly shrunk in recent years and that the lake's fish are once again disappearing as the water becomes more saline. Abduaziz Madyarov / Special For The Great Salt Lake Collaborative

Will Utahns need to adapt to a smaller, dustier salt lake? Or can the watershed unite to reverse its decline?

Great Salt Lake is often compared to a lake in Central Asia: The Aral Sea. Back in the ‘80s, the Aral Sea dried up so much it caused toxic dust storms – a problem that’s facing the Wasatch Front. But the Aral Sea also offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking lake. Reporter Levi Bridges visited the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan for the Great Salt Lake Collaborative and KUER.

 

Listen to the audio story at KUER.org

Freelance Reporter
Levi Bridges is an American audio reporter and producer currently based between Mexico City and Moscow, Russia.
 

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