OGDEN — What relationship do you have with the Great Salt Lake?
That’s the question Carla Koons Trentelman posed to hundreds of Top of Utah residents.
As part of her research dissertation, Trentelman, an associate professor of sociology at Weber State University, wanted to know what people thought about the lake, how they interacted with it and whether they felt any attachment or sense of place with the lake.
“In the last 10 to 15 years we’ve been able to conduct research on a good many other aspects of the lake, on the chemistry, the birds and wildlife that use it, how it affects weather, and a good number of other topics, finding out important dynamics we had not understood before,” said Trentelman. “However, we really did not have any information on the people part of the lake’s ecosystem.”
Trentelman will be holding a series of presentations titled “Birds and Beauty or Bugs and Stinks: What do the neighbors of Great Salt Lake think?” During the presentation, she will talk more in depth about her research findings.
In addition, she said, a representative from the State Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will talk about the process that office is going through to develop a new comprehensive management plan for the lake and how community members can have input on that plan.
From the responses she received, Trentelman learned the Great Salt Lake means different things to different people. For example, several said they liked living close to the lake for the views and sunsets. Others said they enjoyed recreational activities at the lake. Some people said they never thought about the lake.
Trentelman collected information for her project several ways. She held a focus group in both Weber and Davis counties and conducted 18 face-to-face interviews with residents, county commissioners, resource managers and rangers from lake-related parks and refuges. She also surveyed residents living within 1 1/2 miles of the lake’s meander line in Davis County and within one mile of the high water line in Weber County. “There are a number of challenges with living near the lake, including things like dealing with lake dust, salt damage, and even people’s reactions. There appears to be some stigma connected to living near Great Salt Lake due to people’s assumptions about what that would be like,” she said. “Some of the people who live closest to the lake don’t get to experience some of the benefits of the lake. For example, because of the elevation and flatness of the land near the lake, many people in the survey cannot see the lake from their property.”
In fact, said Trentelman, only 18 percent of respondents can usually see the lake from their property, and the views and sunsets were rated as some of the most positive aspects of the lake.
“Despite these challenges, though, there are those who feel very attached to the lake. One of the things that was very interesting to me is that people’s feelings and perspectives about the lake tend to be pretty complex, with a great deal of nuance,” said Trentelman. “Few people either love it or hate it. Many of those who feel the most attached also find things about the lake they’re not at all fond of. On the other hand, most of those who feel the most negatively about the lake do find some things to be quite positive.”
If you go
Carla Trentelman, an associate professor of sociology at Weber State University, will present her findings on Great Salt Lake at three venues.
- Weber County: Today, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Ogden Nature Center, 966 W. 12th St., Ogden
- Davis County: Sept. 27, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Syracuse Community Center, 1912 W. 1900 South, Syracuse
- Salt Lake County: Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Special Events Room in the Health, Wellness & Athletic Center, Westminster College, 1840 S. 1300 East, Salt Lake City.
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