“Shortly after boarding a flotilla of tour boats at the Lindon Marina on Utah Lake, state Rep. Mike Noel wasted no time in getting right to the point.

“What’s the main purpose of wanting to rehabilitate this lake?” Noel, R-Kanab, asked the scientists and advocates accompanying him on the tour. “Why should we spend money on your lake?”

Utah Lake, with its penchant for losing more than half the water it contains to evaporation each summer and keen talent for growing potentially toxic algae, seemed like a “huge waste of water,” Noel went on to say.

Those who would like to see a science-backed solution for the water quality woes at Utah Lake have long faced one particularly difficult barrier. As people who believe Utah Lake has something valuable to offer surrounding communities, they are more often than not in the minority.”