(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ben Abbott, a BYU professor, poses for a portrait at a Utah Lake overlook on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. It appears lawmakers and lobbyists retaliated against scientists who didn't support the Utah Lake dredging and islands project and Abbott had state funding cut for a watershed research project.
Leia Larsen is a sixth generation Utahn and a water and land use reporter reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. She has covered environment, energy and political issues throughout the West. When she’s not chasing the news, Leia can be found exploring the Wasatch Mountains, sleeping in the desert or rooting around her garden.