Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Exclusive Excursions continues Great Salt Lake tours despite low water levels impacting business.
- Owner Jeff Manwaring reports June revenue was 50% lower than a normal year.
- Tour captain Tyler Oborn emphasizes the lake's unique beauty and encourages visitors.
SALT LAKE CITY — No matter how many times Tyler Oborn has been out on the Great Salt Lake, he still finds something special about it.
"It's a beautiful day," said Oborn, a tour boat captain for Exclusive Excursions.
For him, the lake is more than water and shoreline.
"I mean, just mostly the peace and quiet," he said. "It's extremely rare to be on such a giant body of water and literally be the only one out here."
These days, that is as true as ever.
Low water levels have forced many boat owners to pull their boats out of the Great Salt Lake Marina.
The empty slips have also created a perception problem for Exclusive Excursions, a company that still takes people out on the lake for tours and swimming trips.
"If you can see right over there, normally, this is all underwater but just barely hidden under a few inches," Oborn said while pointing to a shallow area of the lake with exposed reef.
He said many visitors ask about the lake's declining water levels and what it means for the future of the lake.
"Me personally, I think it's more of a cycle," Oborn said.
But for now, that cycle is hurting business.
Jeff Manwaring, who owns Exclusive Excursions, said revenue last month was down significantly compared with a normal year.
"I was just looking at revenue for June, and yeah, it was probably about 50% less than normal," Manwaring said.
Manwaring said people often worry about low water, bugs and the smell near the shoreline. However, he believes the experience changes once people get out on the lake.
"We have plenty of water for the pontoon boats," he said. "I mean, once you get out there, you can see there's a lot of water out there still, so."
Even still, the Great Salt Lake continues to face serious challenges.
On Tuesday, the south arm of the lake measured 4,191.1 feet in elevation, about 7 feet below what scientists consider a healthy level.
Oborn knows the lake is in trouble, but feels the more people who come out to see it beyond the shoreline, the more they'll know how special it is.
That's the part of his job he truly loves.
"Absolutely. Yeah. This is a passion project for me that I happen to get paid for," he said with a laugh. "There's just an energy about this place."
