Western Lakes Shrink as Data Centers Expand in Utah, Arizona, Nevada

Six major Western lakes and reservoirs have recorded significant declines over recent decades while data-center construction has increased in the same states. The affected water bodies include the Great Salt Lake in Utah, Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the Colorado River, California's Salton Sea and Mono Lake, and Walker Lake in Nevada.

Combined storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell reached a record low, according to recent reports.

The Great Salt Lake has lost elevation after years of upstream diversions, drought, and higher evaporation. Dr. Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University, said the lake receives water only from what is not used upstream.

"This year, for example, we got about a foot of rise in lake elevation from winter precipitation, but we lost about three feet through summer evaporation," Baxter said. Exposed lake-bed sediments can contain heavy metals and microplastics that may become airborne, Baxter added.

At least 15 new data-center buildings or campuses have been announced or developed in Utah since 2021, with two located near the Great Salt Lake, according to reporting by Grist. Cooling systems at such facilities can require substantial amounts of water.

Greg Pierce, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group, said questions remain about how much promised water reuse will reduce pressure on local supplies. Pierce also said local governments should evaluate how proposed facilities affect nearby communities and consider potential water-quality risks.