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Show CHAPTER III IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH NEEDS AND PRIORITIES The first task of the project dealt with identifying the research necessary to understand the components of the physical and social use systems and the interactions which occur between these systems. From the previous discussion it has been established that all interactions between social uses are linked through the physical system. Therefore, it is not surprising that much of the research identified during this study deals with establishing a basic understanding of the physical system and developing the ability to predict the consequences of any alterations of the system. Research needs are summarized under two principal geographic divisions; the lake system and Farmington Bay. The geographic subareas included in Table 1 were useful for discussing the lake but research needs identified for the north arm and south shore were found to be encompassed in the research needs identified for the entire lake system. Within each geographic division, research needs are discussed according to social uses and the physical system which is composed of hydrologic and biologic components. Research needs for a social use system are investigations which must be conducted to understand the use system itself or the impact links between the social use system and the physical system. An example of information needs within a social use system is the amount of land required for evaporation ponds to produce a given amount of salt at a specific salinity of the brine. A related information need for the impact link would be the resulting salinity of both arms of the lake if the railroad causeway was breached to relieve high water damage in the south arm. The ability to predict the salinity in each arm comes from an understanding of the physical system. In the following discussion of the social use systems, the information needed to properly understand the impact links between the physical and social use system is identified, but the specific research necessaryto predict the impact is found in the discussion of the physical system. From a management point of view, research involving the physical system cannot stand alone but must be initiated by the need to properly understand the impacts between the physical and social use systems. Thus, physical system research needs evolve directly from the information needs identified for each social use system. It cannot be over emphasized that proper management decisions depend on a sound understanding of the physical system. All the consequences of a management decision which require alteration of the physical system must be considered in the decision. A management decision such as pumping brine to the west desert to relieve high water damage in the lake must be made with an understanding that salinity concentration or stratification changes might occur in either arm of the lake. Failure to completely understand the consequences of altering the physical system could create a situation where the solution to one problem creates other unforeseen problems. Tables are included in the text in which three priorities ( A, B, or C) are assigned by groups to research needs within each social use area and the physical system. Research priorities were assigned by evaluating: 1. The social demand ( need). 2. The degree to which the information is basic to understanding the social use system or the physical system. No attempt was made at this time to assign research priorities between the social use areas. Since priorities were assigned within each social use area the overall priority of a specific research need will be easy to establish once alternative development schemes in the comprehensive plan are adopted and specific development goals for the lake system are set. There are a number of state and federal agencies with jurisdiction and interest in Great Salt Lake and several universities in the state which have the capability to conduct the research necessary in formulating and comparing alternative components of the comprehensive plan. Research entities which can possibly perform the research identified in this report are listed for each research need. The capability of these entities was estimated from the known nature and jurisdiction of the agencies and the research that agencies or individuals have performed in the past. Table 2 lists the 27 |