How mapping a water-guzzling invasive weed could help refill the Great Salt Lake
Scientists are building new mapping tools to track phragmites, an invasive plant that drains tens of thousands of acre-feet from the Great Salt Lake each year.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bill Johnson researches the freshwater aquifer beneath the Great Salt Lake that allows a stand of phragmites to grow on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
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.