Compass Minerals, Overland Park, Kan., announced on Sept. 3 that it has executed a binding voluntary agreement with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) outlining water and land conservation commitments the company is making toward the health of the Great Salt Lake.
“The Great Salt Lake is a vital ecosystem and economic engine that we must all work to protect, and Compass Minerals stands with the many diverse stakeholders contributing toward the preservation of this globally significant resource,” said Edward C. Dowling Jr., Compass President and CEO. “Through this Voluntary Agreement, we commit to significant contributions toward lake health, while also ensuring future predictability in our water use allotment that supports sustainable production at our Ogden facility.”
Under the agreement, Compass will donate non-production-related water rights totaling approximately 201,000 acre-feet annually to be used by the State of Utah for lake conservation and preservation. Additionally, the company will remit back to Utah nearly 65,000 acres of leasehold, also currently not utilized for production, which will be set aside for conservation and other beneficial uses according to FFSL’s existing management authority.
In addition, the agreement outlines a progressive set of brine withdrawal caps for certain of Compass’s consumptive water rights, based on annual lake elevation and informed by the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan. Compass said it does not expect these consumption caps to materially impact its essential mineral production on the Great Salt Lake unless lake elevations were to fall to historic lows.
“This agreement is an example of the good we can accomplish when public and private come together to be a part of the solution,” said Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox. “The donation from Compass Minerals will ensure that water delivered to the Great Salt Lake will remain in the lake. We look forward to the lasting benefit this will make toward the health and sustainability of the lake for generations to come.”
Compass and FFSL entered into a term sheet in early March 2024 establishing the framework for negotiations on a binding agreement. As part of its regulatory authorities, FFSL is responsible for managing Utah’s sovereign lands, including the beds and banks of navigable rivers and lakes within the State.
“When lake levels are high, Compass can withdraw up to its existing water right, just as they could always do – but in years with lower lake levels, they have committed to decreasing their water use – or suspending it completely if the lake reaches the critical levels we experienced several years ago,” said Jamie Barnes, FFAL Director.
Compass’s Ogden facility has operated on the Great Salt Lake for more than half a century producing sulfate of potash, salt, and magnesium chloride from the lake’s mineral-enriched brine. The company’s Ogden operation currently provides nearly 400 local jobs.