Volume 58’s Symposium - Salt Lakes in Crisis: Legal Responses to Ecological Catastrophes - addressed the challenges faced by terminal salt lakes across the West. The Symposium tackled important issues such as the public trust doctrine, air quality, endangered species, migratory birds, human health, environmental justice, and tribal impacts. In the same way the UC Davis Law Review laid the foundation for the National Audubon “Mono Lake” decision through a Law Review Symposium in 1980, we hope this Symposium has assisted advocates in Utah and throughout the West in developing legal tools to prevent lakes from going into critical failure.

Key Presentations During The Event

Keynote Address by Professor Buzz Thompson

Professor Thompson served as Special Master for the United States Supreme Court in Montana v. Wyoming, an interstate water dispute involving the Yellowstone River system. Professor Thompson discussed his perspective on the past, present, and future of the salt lake crisis.

Salt Lakes 101 with Professor Ben Abbott

Salt Lakes 101 prepared symposium attendees with little to no background in salt lake systems to better understand and participate in the rest of the symposium.

Panel 1: Dusty Lakes: Owens Lake and the Salton Sea

Water diversions have reduced Owens Lake to a fragment of its former self, leaving most of the lake a dry lakebed. The dry lakebed has been an enormous source of particulate matter air pollution, and efforts to reduce air pollutants from the bed have become tremendously expensive. Similarly, reduced flows to the Salton Sea have increased particulate pollution, harming disadvantaged communities near California’s largest lake. The panel explored how modern environmental law affects the ongoing management of these lakes and the air pollution associated with them and considered potential lessons that Owens Lake and the Salton Sea might offer to similar lakes now under pressure in the West and beyond.

Panel 2: Reversing the Decline of Walker Lake

Upstream water diversions have reduced the lake level of Nevada’s Walker Lake by 120 feet and reduced the volume of water in the lake by 80%. In spite of federal appropriations to add water to the lake and public trust litigation in state courts, the problem remains unresolved. This panel addressed the history of Walker Lake, the recent efforts to reduce the decline of the lake, and the ongoing challenges with the restoration effort.

Panel 3: Refilling Mono Lake

Out of all the salt lakes facing crises in the West, Mono Lake has been the closest to a success story, and advocates often point to Mono Lake as inspiration for efforts to protect other salt lakes. This panel addressed the story of Mono Lake, particularly the conditions that led to the successful litigation and campaign to protect the lake and the continued challenges with improving the lake level and protecting the lake’s ecosystem. 

Panel 4: The Uncertain Future of Great Salt Lake

In 2022, Great Salt Lake came dangerously close to ecological collapse as its low level and high salinity rates put enormous pressure on its brine shrimp and brine flies, negatively impacting millions of migratory birds. At the same time, drying lakebed has begun to cause enormous challenges for the air quality of Northern Utah and beyond. The panel provided an assessment of Great Salt Lake and discussed the extent to which the experience in trying to save Great Salt Lake has lessons to teach other places struggling to save other saline lakes. 

Closing Keynote Address by Commissioner Brian Steed

Brian Steed is the first Commissioner of the Great Salt Lake. Commissioner Steed synthesized the panels, information, and perspectives presented throughout the symposium to reflect on the importance of protecting salt lakes, the high stakes of failing to conserve these systems, the common challenges in salt lake protection, and lessons that can be drawn from the many places discussed throughout the day. He focused on the Great Salt Lake and what lessons can be gleaned for the protection of the Great Salt Lake in particular.

Faculty Advisors

Professor Karrigan Börk

UC Davis School of Law

Professor Brigham Daniels

University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law

Principle Staff

Youngbum "Kevin" Chaey

Senior Symposium Editor

Emi Lemberg

Senior Symposium Editor

Brian Nguyen

Senior Symposium Editor

UC Davis Law Review, Vol. 58

Co-sponsored by:

Virginia Cahill '81, UC Davis School of Law