Background: The privately funded Utah Lake Restoration Project would deepen Utah Lake on average by 7 feet, and the dredged material would be used to create man-made islands, some for development, recreation and wildlife.
Supporters say: The project is a solution to the toxic algal blooms, invasive plants and fish, and the increasing demand for water from rapidly expanding Utah County, all contributing to the lake’s declining health.
Opponents say: The transfer of land would be “the biggest government giveaway in Utah history” and the approach to restoration is “likely to reverse the lake’s recovery," according to a letter from 100 scientists speaking out against the project.
The latest: In a defamation and false light suit filed on Jan. 10, Lake Restoration Solutions says Ben Abbott, associate professor of aquatic ecology at Brigham Young University, has made “many demonstrably false statements” and is behind a “misguided and wrongful campaign to turn public opinion against” the project.
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