Hydrologist, Utah Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Bio:
Christine Rumsey is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Water Science Center in West Valley City, Utah. Since joining the USGS in 2014, she has worked on and led Great Salt Lake studies related to water quality monitoring, deep brine layer tracking, nutrient cycling, and salinity dynamics. She also conducts research in the Upper Colorado River Basin to understand groundwater-discharge to streams, water quality trends, and salinity transport. She received her M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Utah State University studying nutrient transport in groundwater.
Title: A Very Salty Journey
Abstract: The GSL Salinity Advisory Committee (SAC) has been very busy since the last Great Salt Lake Issues Forum in 2022! Record low water levels and critically high salinity in the South Arm made it imperative for FFSL, the SAC, and their partners to act to preserve the uses of GSL. This session will provide an overview of the observed changes in salinity, resulting risks, how we improved monitoring and forecasting of the Lake’s salt balance, adaptive management of a flow control berm to manage salinity, and, best of all, the resulting success of these efforts. It has been a wild two years, but the data, tools, and partnerships needed to protect GSL’s uses have never been stronger.