Curtis Calls for Bold Solutions to Save Great Salt Lake at Sutherland Congressional Series

Senator discusses water infrastructure, conservation, and Utah-led solutions during fireside chat with Sutherland President Todd Weiler at the University of Utah SALT LAKE CITY —U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) joined Utah State Senator and Sutherland Institute President and CEO Todd Weiler for a fireside chat at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics as part of the 2026 Sutherland Congressional Series . The conversation focused on the future of the Great Salt Lake, Utah’s growing water challenges, and the need for ambitious investments in water infrastructure and conservation. During the discussion, Curtis emphasized that restoring the Great Salt Lake will require a combination of conservation, infrastructure investment, technological innovation, and cooperation among federal, state, and local leaders. Drawing on Utah’s pioneer history, he called for the same bold thinking that helped early settlers overcome the region’s water challenges. Curtis also discussed his efforts to secure the $1 billion proposed in President Trump’s budget for the Great Salt Lake, explaining that he is working with congressional colleagues to demonstrate the lake’s importance to Utah’s economy, public health, and the broader region. He stressed that solutions must be developed in Utah, with Washington serving as a partner rather than imposing one-size-fits-all mandates. Excerpts from the conversation are below, and the full video recording can be found here . On the importance of saving the Great Salt Lake: “No matter what you care about, you don’t want the Great Salt Lake suffering.” “It’s not just an environmental issue; it’s a monetary issue. It’s a health issue. It really affects us in almost every aspect of our lives.” “If it’s health and this shrinks and you have the dust, then you should care about the Great Salt Lake. If it’s the economy, many industries are based on the health of the Great Salt Lake. So, if you care about the economy of the region, then you care about the Great Salt Lake.” On securing $1 billion in federal funding for the Great Salt Lake: “The President put $1 billion in his budget, and now we as legislators have to figure out where that money is going to come from.” “That’s the mode that I’m in right now, is working with my colleagues to help them understand why a $1-billion investment in the lake is a good investment. To do that, I’m physically inviting them here to Utah. I’m talking to them. I’m trying to educate them.” “In a perfect world, we’d get $1 billion in this year’s budget. In reality, we may work for a couple of years, but I do actually think ultimately, the federal government’s investment may far exceed $1 billion and probably should.” On thinking bigger about Utah’s water infrastructure: “We know we need to do more conservation. We know we need to do more with water rights. But I would add on to that, another piece is we’ve got to be more bold and more audacious and think of the things right now that seem impossible.” “[Conservation] cannot be ignored. All of these things are good pieces. We have to change the math. There is not enough water. Even with conservation, there is just not enough water. So, we have to change the math.” On partnering with Utah farmers and rural communities: “If we don’t involve rural Utah, if we don’t involve agriculture, if we don’t involve the men and women who for decades have worked in a very, very tough environment to provide us food and so much of our lifestyle, it’s a big mistake.” “Mandating to them or telling them what they’re going to do is a big mistake. Bringing them in as stakeholders, bringing them in as owners in the problem is smart.” On keeping water solutions local: “The number of cases where you can sit around in Washington, D.C., and mandate what takes place in Utah and have it be successful is close to zero.” “As your federal senator, I am not coming with the answers. I’m for looking to Utah to say, ‘ Here are the answers, and here’s the help I need from Washington, D.C.’” On Utah’s response to the Great Salt Lake crisis: “Watching the philanthropic community, watching our legislators, watching businesses come together has been really very impressive.” “We’re not only relying on the federal government. And this all-hands-on-deck approach to me is just really impressive.”