A rowing community announced this week it was suspending activities on the Great Salt Lake due to diminishing water levels.

Why it matters: It's the first time Great Salt Lake Rowing has halted its season in its nearly 20-year existence on account of insufficient water in the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River.

Background: The announcement comes about two months after the U.S. Geological Survey measured the lake's lowest level on record for the second time since July 2021.

What they're saying: "I just think it’s tragic that we’ve let this happen," said Michael Spackman, who cofounded Great Salt Lake Rowing in the early 2000s. "We live in the desert, and we're one of the highest consumers of water in the nation."

Flashback: Visitors have rowed the Great Salt Lake since the 1890s, Spackman noted.

Details: Their season typically starts in March and lasts until November, said Irene Lysenko, a coach with the group.

• Lysenko said leaders made the decision to suspend activities after their boats began scraping the lake bottom last week.
• At the bare minimum, Lysenko said rowers need 18 inches of water and 20 feet of wide space to row.

Between the lines: Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College, said she's noticed the lake becoming more shallow week by week.

• As the lake shrinks, its salt levels rise, Baxter added, meaning rowers could encounter more resistance as they row because the water is "heavier."
• Politicians and climate scientists have sounded the alarm over the disappearing lake's health and economic ramifications. In recent years, solutions have been introduced on how to save it.

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State transportation officials are recommending a controversial, $550-million gondola to relieve traffic congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

• But first, they want to try adding buses.

What's happening: UDOT released its analysis Wednesday of various traffic-reducing options, with the gondola as its first choice.

• The report also reviewed plans to build a new bus lane or a train up the north side of the canyon.
• Just adding extra buses — the cheapest option — will cost $355 million, UDOT estimated, plus $14 million to operate and maintain them.

The other side: Local officials and conservation groups say the gondola will be an eyesore and amounts to a taxpayer subsidy for lucrative ski resorts.

• They also raised concerns about how construction in the watershed would impact drinking water.

Details: The gondola would run from North Cottonwood Canyon Road, near the LaCaille restaurant, to Snowbird and Alta.

• It would still take close to an hour to get up the canyon, UDOT projected.

Yes, but: There is no funding yet, so UDOT is recommending an "enhanced" ski bus service first, with buses leaving every five minutes during peak traffic, from the gravel pit on Wasatch Boulevard and 9400 S. Highland Dr.

Between the lines: A toll of $25–$30 during peak traffic hours would be needed to persuade at least 30% of drivers to switch to public transit, Josh Van Jura, the state's manager over the Little Cottonwood traffic plan, said in an informational video.

By the numbers: Traffic in Little Cottonwood frequently exceeds 10,000 cars per day, so the gondola would only accommodate about a quarter of that traffic — and the share will shrink as traffic gets heavier.

• What's next: UDOT is accepting public comment from Sept. 2–Oct. 17 and expects to make a final decision this winter.

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🚨Farmington Junior High School officials called police over angry emails and calls from parents after school counselors listed their pronouns on office signs. (KSL TV)

😿 A Utah County animal shelter is killing cats who don't pass a behavioral "test" that experts say is flawed. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

🎓 Jeanetta Williams, president of the local NAACP branch, is calling on Salt Lake City school board member Katherine Kennedy to resign due to evidence that she has moved out of the city. (KUTV)

• Kennedy voted last month to place the district's first Black superintendent on leave amid complaints that critics said were racist.

🇺🇸 Incumbent Sen. Mike Lee and challenger Evan McMullin will debate on Oct. 17, two weeks before the midterm election. (KUER)

🍻 Wasatch Brewery gets a nod in Axios' pumpkin beer roundup, for its Black O'Lantern stout! (Axios Denver)

👋🏼 Kim here. While walking my dog last week, I came across a gray, flowery coffee cart around the corner of Hardware Apartments in Salt Lake City called Sunroom Coffee.

Details: Though small in size, their expansive menu offers espresso-infused essentials, along with baked goods and house concoctions.

What happened: I tried their iced chai latte ($4.65) and cold brew with milk and vanilla ($2.25) on two separate visits and enjoyed each one.

Where: You can find the mobile coffee shop outside Hardware Apartments (455 W. 200 N.) Thursdays and Fridays from 8am to noon.

• Their Instagram account shows where they are posted each day.

What's next: I really need to top one of my drinks with their blueberry lavender cold foam.

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