The shrinking Great Salt Lake has exposed sediment that contributes to dust pollution, carrying toxic metals into nearby urban areas such as Salt Lake City and towns along the Wasatch Front. While the freshwater reservoir beneath the lake could offer solutions for dust mitigation, over-extraction risks destabilizing the system, potentially weakening the upward pressure that keeps freshwater above the brine. This could lead to the disappearance of reed mounds and further environmental degradation. The long-term sustainability of utilizing this resource remains uncertain, as the flux and total volume of the aquifer are still unknown.