The Great Salt Lake ecosystem is composed of wetland complexes and associated upland nesting cover and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.    

Critical migratory habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds

Important nesting habitat Cinnamon teal White-faced ibis

One of the biggest threats is development

Utah Partners for Fish and Wildlife participates in projects with landowners to improve and restore wetlands and upland habitat. Many of the duck clubs have shown interest in habitat restoration. The National Resources Conservation Service and the Wetlands Reserve Program along with Ducks Unlimited have been key players in these restoration projects.

View of a completed project. A small 300-foot dike with a water control structure was constructed to capture irrigation water. The landowner uses the pond to irrigate his pasture.

Completed projects include reconstruction of dikes and installation of new water control structures. These improvements have allowed landowners to manage water in a more efficient manner and provide water regimes for waterfowl and shorebirds.

Another project the Partners Program is involved in is working with a duck club to improve grassland conditions that have been invaded by cheatgrass. There has also been a huge increase in the amount of Phragmites (marsh reeds) since the flood in 1983, and there is a high interest in doing management on these huge monotypical stands.