The National Audubon Society has released the Great Salt Lake Birds and Habitat Assessment, a science-based tool that integrates habitat, hydrology, and climate modeling to illustrate the importance of Great Salt Lake and its wetlands for waterbirds. Built by Audubon scientists with input from habitat and water experts, the assessment is designed to identify and classify the most important habitat for waterbirds and help guide ongoing and future conservation efforts across the watershed.
A key takeaway is that birds require connectivity, not just habitat. Enhancing landscape-scale connectivity between wetlands and water sources can reduce habitat fragmentation and increase resilience to environmental variability. The report identifies open water and surrounding wetland complexes — including Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Farmington Bay, Ogden Bay, and Willard Spur — as top-tier conservation priorities, since they supply essential habitat now and are projected to remain viable under future climate scenarios. The assessment also flags agricultural lands and degraded historical wetlands around the lake as longer-term restoration opportunities in areas where climate suitability will hold up over time.
The stakes are significant: Great Salt Lake supports roughly 12 million birds annually and anchors the broader saline lake network birds depend on across the West, but rising diversion, development, and climate pressures are straining that system.
