State strikes GSL water and land conservation deal with Compass Minerals

One of the major companies that draws its livelihood from the Great Salt Lake has signed a voluntary agreement making commitments to the long-term health of the Northern Utah body of water. In a pact with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL), Compass Minerals Inc. has agreed to water and land conservation measures that the two parties have been negotiating since March.

The new deal will permanently direct over 200,000 acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake every year. FFSL leaders said the agreement is a historic first following a bill passed by the Legislature earlier this year that tightened regulations on mineral extraction to better manage the industry's water consumption.

“This agreement is an example of the good we can accomplish when public and private come together to be a part of the solution,” said Gov. Spencer Cox, in a statement released with the announcement. “We look forward to the lasting benefit this will make toward the health and sustainability of the lake for generations to come.”

“The Great Salt Lake is a vital ecosystem and economic engine that we must all work to protect, and Compass Minerals stands with the many diverse stakeholders contributing toward the preservation of this globally significant resource,” said Edward C. Dowling Jr., Compass president and CEO. “Through this voluntary agreement, we commit to significant contributions toward lake health, while also ensuring future predictability in our water use allotment that supports sustainable production at our Ogden facility.”

Compass Minerals is among the companies that extract minerals from the Great Salt Lake’s mineral-heavy brine. It has collected salt, sulfate of potash and magnesium chloride from the lake for over 50 years.

Mineral extraction accounts for about 8 percent of the lake’s water consumption through evaporation processes. HB453 mandates that the Utah Division of Water Rights create a water distribution plan for the lake and a severance tax for lake minerals. In response to the bill, Compass Minerals agreed to a plan for voluntary water consumption reduction, among other things. Under the agreement, Compass Minerals can withdraw up to its full water right when the lake levels are high, but it agreed to go below its right when levels are low — even suspending operations if the lake falls to the near-all-time lows it experienced in 2022.

Also under terms of the agreement, Compass Minerals will donate non-production-related water rights totaling approximately 201,000 acre-feet annually to be used by the state of Utah for lake conservation and preservation. Additionally, the company will remit back to the state nearly 65,000 acres of leasehold property currently not used in its production.

“When lake levels are high, Compass can withdraw up to its existing water right, just as they could always do. But in years with lower lake levels, they have committed to decreasing their water use or suspending it completely if the lake reaches the critical levels we experienced several years ago,” said Jamie Barnes, director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

“We have been working with stakeholders across the state to identify ways to conserve water and ensure it makes it to the lake,” said Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake commissioner. “We recognize restoring the lake to healthier levels will take years, and we appreciate the action Compass Minerals is taking today to help protect the lake. Together, we can make a difference.”

Compass Minerals produces salt products for winter road maintenance and other consumer, industrial, chemical and agricultural products, including plant nutrition and fire-retardant products. The company operates 12 production and packaging facilities with nearly 2,000 employees throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K.