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Each year, millions of birds depend on the vast, shimmering waters and wetlands of Great Salt Lake. From the striking American Avocet to the swirling murmurations of Wilson’s Phalaropes, these birds rely on these unique saline ecosystems to feed, rest, and breed during critical stages of their life cycle. And yet, for years, saline lake habitats were largely absent from Utah’s primary conservation roadmap.

Now, that’s finally beginning to change.

(UWAP or Plan) is the state’s official guide to protecting and conserving wildlife and their habitats. The Plan’s goal is “to manage native wildlife and plant species, including mammals, birds, fish, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles, and their habitats sufficient to prevent the need for additional listings under the Endangered Species Act.” Updated every 10 years, the document shapes conservation priorities, helps allocate funding, and supports partnerships among state agencies, researchers, and non-profit organizations.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and a core team of wildlife experts from across the state, including ̽����ѡ staff, finalized the most recent update last month. The UWAP identifies which species are struggling, what habitats they rely on, and what actions the conservation community can take to prevent further declines. Its scope spans the state’s diverse ecological regions, addressing fish, such as the June Sucker, rare insects like the Monarch Butterly, bats, and sensitive plant species, including several endangered pincushion cacti.

The 2025 UWAP introduces several important updates. It incorporates new habitat types such as sand dunes, cliffs, and canyons; adds a climate adaptation component that includes the identification of potential climate refugia; and expands the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list, along with the development of a new Species of Greatest Information Need list. These additions help ensure that conservation actions are based on the best available science and can adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Among these wide-ranging updates, one area of focus stands out: a growing attention to saline lakes and the species that depend on them.

How the UWAP Impacts Great Salt Lake

The 2025 update to the UWAP brings several new elements that directly connect statewide conservation priorities to the health of Great Salt Lake. From habitat classifications and species listings to data-driven research priorities, these updates collectively mark a more explicit recognition of the ecological significance of Great Salt Lake and its associated wetlands.

• Saline Lakes Are Now Recognized as a Key Aquatic Habitat
  For the first time, saline lake ecosystems, including Great Salt Lake and its associated wetlands, are officially recognized as a distinct habitat type in Utah’s conservation framework. This recognition comes not a moment too soon; in recent years the lake has experienced historic lows, resulting in declining surface water coverage and salinity fluctuations which threaten the integrity of the lake’s food web and the wildlife that depends on the stability of this delicately balanced ecosystem.
• Migratory Birds Added as Species of Greatest Conservation Need

  

  
  The UWAP arranges a list of (SGCN) to prioritize jurisdictional wildlife as important management priorities and to guide conservation efforts within the state. The development of this list involves the systematic ranking of Utah’s wildlife based on three factors: (1) the likelihood of a species’ population to be listed as federally Endangered, (2) the consequences of such a listing, and (3) the ability of the State of Utah and its partners to influence, and ultimately prevent, a species from declining to the point of endangerment.The 2025 UWAP named a number of newly added migratory bird species that rely on Great Salt Lake and its wetlands as SGCNs, including the American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Long-billed Curlew. These birds, and others like the Snowy Plover, don’t just pass through Great Salt Lake – they depend on it. The lake’s ecosystem acts as an irreplaceable refueling station during migration, offering food-rich habitats that are essential to species making long-distance journeys.
  
  Many of these birds are already facing threats due to habitat degradation throughout their migratory flyways. By listing them as SGCNs in Utah, the state is formally acknowledging its outsized role in bird conservation across the Western Hemisphere. It’s not just a matter of acknowledging the birds on Utah’s doorstep – it’s about committing to the protection of species whose survival depends on the health of unique wetland habitats. This update shifts the Plan from a local checklist to a piece of a much larger ecological puzzle, with Utah and Great Salt Lake as a central node.
   
• Microbialites Are Included as One of 14 Terrestrial Key Habitats

  

  
  In addition to listing saline lakes as a key habitat, the update to the Plan also identifies one of Great Salt Lake's microhabitats as a key terrestrial habitat. Found across roughly 20% of the Great Salt Lake’s bed, microbialites are carbonate, rock-like formations created as mineral-rich waters precipitate carbonates. On their surface grows a thin, living mat of photosynthetic microbes that produces oxygen and partially fuels the lake’s food web and are one of the few oxygen-producing systems in the lake’s hypersaline shallows.
  
  Their inclusion in the Plan underscores a growing recognition that the health of microbialite communities is directly tied to the survival of the invertebrates and birds that depend on them – a reminder that even the smallest habitats can impact an entire system.
   
• Brine Flies: A Tiny Species with a Massive Impact

  

  
  One of the exciting additions to the updated UWAP is the Brine Fly (Ephydra gracilis), now listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Often dismissed as shoreline pests, brine flies are a linchpin of the Great Salt Lake food web. These insects depend on microbialites to reproduce; laying their eggs in the rocky crevices of the carbonate structures and, once hatched, their larvae feed on microbial mats that coat the microbialite mounds. As a result, brine fly larvae are able to grow into a semi-aquatic fly and become a vital, protein-rich food source for millions of birds, especially phalaropes and California Gulls.
  
  The inclusion of both the microbialite terrestrial habitat and brine flies in the UWAP is a strong indication that conservation in Utah is embracing the importance of the larger complex ecosystem of Great Salt Lake. Efforts aimed at protecting the microhabitat and an invertebrate species can have a positive, lasting impact on North American bird populations, and is exactly what forward-thinking conservation looks like.
   
• New Category: Species of Greatest Information Need
  A major innovation in the updated Plan is the introduction of (SGIN) – species for which we lack sufficient data to fully understand their population status, habitat use, or threats. Several migratory birds that are dependent on Great Salt Lake, are not listed as species of significant conservation concern fall into this category. For example, Eared Grebes, Marbled Godwits, Black-necked stilts, Western sandpipers and Willets rely on the lake as a stopover site during migration, but there are crucial details about timing, food availability, overall population trends, and movement patterns that remain unclear.
  
  Conservation cannot happen without sound data – by highlighting the need for more information on these species, the Plan identifies where research and monitoring can have the biggest impact. It highlights an obligation to an evidence-based approach, ensuring that future conservation strategies are targeted and effective. In a sense, the SGIN list represents both a challenge and an opportunity; it’s a roadmap for turning gaps in knowledge into actionable wildlife management.

Saline lakes are among the most vibrant ecosystems for birds in North America. Great Salt Lake’s shallow waters, diverse array of microhabitats, and unique chemistry support an incredibly productive food web and an irreplaceable refuge for migratory birds. During peak migration, millions of birds converge here, making it one of the most important inland stopover sites in the Western Hemisphere.

However, decades of water diversions, drought, and rising temperatures have pushed the lake to historically low levels, threatening wildlife habitat, air quality, local economies, and cultural resources. With the new Utah Wildlife Action Plan update, Utah is taking an important step forward in acknowledging these threats and in focusing efforts to protect this special place and the wildlife that depends on it.

̽����ѡ has long advocated for science-based solutions to protect birds and the places they need, solutions that will be guided by comprehensive plans such as the UWAP. Additionally, ̽����ѡ works alongside partners to advance lake and wetland conservation, monitor bird populations, and advocate for policy that keeps more water flowing into the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.  

The 2025 Utah Wildlife Action Plan lays the foundation for informed, inclusive conservation that reflects the ecological importance of Great Salt Lake as one of Utah’s many key wildlife habitats. With the right follow-through, and through strong partnerships, we can ensure that future generations still hear the wingbeats of millions of birds over Great Salt Lake.