Utah, feds finalize $60M settlement over 22,000 acres near Great Salt Lake

Editor's note: This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative with funding from Love the Lake, an initiative of the nonprofit Great Salt Lake Alliance. Editorial decisions are made independently by the Collaborative and partner newsrooms.

SALT LAKE CITY — A long-standing feud between Utah and the federal government over tens of thousands of acres along the Great Salt Lake has now been settled.

The state will receive $60 million over the next few years for Great Salt Lake projects in exchange for dropping claims to 22,311 surface acres near the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Corinne, Box Elder County, officials announced on Friday. The acres will be added to the refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as part of the agreement.

"This is a big win for the health of the Great Salt Lake. We took a decades-old dispute and turned it into $60 million or more that will go right back into the lake," said Gov. Spencer Cox in a statement. "I'm grateful to President Trump and his administration, our legislative partners, and the state and federal teams who worked through the details and got this across the finish line."

The disagreement over land ownership dates back at least two decades, as the lake's changing water levels left questions about ownership near the refuge, which was established during th 1920s.

The two sides had reached a land line agreement approximately five years ago, but the two sides hadn't agreed upon a price until this year, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said in March. The state had previously been offered $15 million for the land.

Utah leaders quickly passed a resolution during the final day of the legislative session that paved the way for the settlement's terms, which quadrupled what it will receive for the land.

The resolution clarifies that it's federal land, but it won't change access to the land since it will be part of the bird refuge. The state will receive its $60 million through four installments over the next 26 months, which will go toward lake-related projects.

It comes as both of the Great Salt Lake's arms have fallen more than 8 feet below what's considered its minimum healthy level. Its southern arm was listed at 4,198.8 feet on Friday, a little more than a foot above its lowest point on record, set in 2022.

"There is still a lot of work ahead, but Utah is making real progress. This is a great example of our collaboration with the Utah Legislature," Cox added. "We'll continue to put more water in the lake and protect this vital natural habitat."

The $60 million is different from the $1 billion that Utah is seeking from the federal government for additional lake-related projects. Great Salt Lake Commissioner Hannah Freeze reiterated this month that Utah would use that money to bolster water infrastructure, agricultural water optimization, water conservation, habitat improvements and dust management.

Trump requested the expenditure in his latest budget, but it has yet to receive approval from Congress.

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