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Show ABSTRACT The development of a comprehensive management framework of the Great Salt Lake is a complex process involving the cooperation and close coordination of many groups, disciplines, and activities. In the approach to this problem which is being followed by researchers at Utah State University, the study was divided into three separate phases. Phase I provides the overall structural framework for management of the Great Salt Lake, identifies the data needs, and establishes priorities for the development of submodels ( both structural and non- structural) for incorporation into the overall framework. The submodels can be developed both from basic considerations and through the modification of existing models. This report summarizes the results of Phase I. Phase II involves the process of developing submodels, and Phase III is concerned with the application of the framework of models to specific management problems. The future management of the resources of the Great Salt Lake is the concern of both public and private entities in Utah, hi this respect, the Economic Committee of the Utah Legislature has recognized the need for a study which synthesizes all available knowledge and identifies any additional information which must be gathered in order to establish a management strategy for the Great Salt Lake. The study reported herein is in accordance with and in response to this concern as to how the resources of the lake might be utilized to best suit the needs of the citizens of Utah. Managing a complex water resource and the related land system requires an understanding of the fundamental processes which occur in the system and the interactions or coupling relationships between these processes. The management framework developed here is aimed at providing decisionmakers at various levels in government with the capability to predict the impacts ( environmental, economic, and societal) which might result from various policies and decisions. The management framework developed here takes into account the major societal and economic uses of the Great Salt Lake. These uses are ( 1) recreation and tourism, ( 2) mineral extraction, ( 3) transportation, ( 4) brine shrimp harvesting, ( 5) oil drilling, and ( 6) fresh water supply. On the basis of these six major uses, a chart was prepared which lists the potential impacts on cultural and social factors, biological conditions, and physical and chemical characteristics resulting from alterations to the existing lake system. Modeling the Great Salt Lake system represents a formidable task. For this reason, the problem is approached by decomposing the total system into a number of subsystems and considering the total system as being organized in terms of hierarchies. The hierarchical- multilevel approach being adopted in this study enables the full utilization of existing hydrological and other available water resource planning and management models. KEYWORDS: Great Salt Lake/ water resources planning and management/ systems analysis/ simulation/ water resource modeling/ environmental impact analysis/ social uses/ multi- objective planning / Utah Hi |
