State senator explores Great Salt Lake solutions
The shrinking of Great Salt Lake over recent years presents serious environmental concerns in northern Utah, from low snowpack levels to large amounts of toxic lakebed dust blowing into communities near the lake.
According to Utah water experts, Utahns must make changes to their usage of water to avoid consequences to the Great Salt Lake. A forum on Great Salt Lake that took place last week focused on solutions to these issues.
Utah state Sen. Nate Blouin discussed options, including hiring more water and energy staff to handle the region's growing needs, and looking into improving the technology for water metering and tracking.
The golden spike tour will start this week
Utah and Kentucky delegations celebrate the kickoff of the “Driving of the Spike,” a 43-foot-tall and 7,000-pound Golden Spike Monument that will go on tour starting in Lexington, Kentucky Thursday, and end in Salt Lake City Oct. 24.
The artist Douwe Blumberg and his team have spent the last 2 years building the monument in his studio in Kentucky. The railroad construction is a story that has gone largely untold and the help of thousands of workers has been disregarded.
The Golden Spike Foundation wanted to set the record straight. The Golden Spike Monument will travel across the United States on the original transcontinental railway route, making a series of “whistle stops” along the way.
As the truck carrying the monument enters different areas across the country, events will be held in partnership with schools, railroad stations and railroad museums to display the public art piece. Those involved hope to inspire people to learn what happened in the past and honor the thousands of workers who built the transcontinental railroad.
