Utah governor appoints new Great Salt Lake commissioner

“Hannah understands that protecting the Great Salt Lake requires cooperation from people across the basin,” Cox said in a prepared statement issued Wednesday. “She has earned the trust of agricultural producers, water users, conservation leaders and our state and federal partners. Her experience, practical approach and ability to bring people together will be invaluable as Utah continues this important work.”

The Great Salt Lake has already reached its max height for the year

Freeze’s appointment comes during another tough year for the Great Salt Lake, which started at low spring levels after a dry winter left virtually no snowpack. This year’s summer has also continued to be historically hot and dry, continuing a yearslong drought that has threatened the ecological future of the lake. 

The shrinking Great Salt Lake poses a grave threat to the state in many ways, including its economy and the health of Utahns. In recent years, state leaders have rallied together with commitments to save it, but today the lake remains more than seven feet below its minimum healthy level of 4,198 feet above sea level.

The Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner was created by the Utah Legislature in 2023, tasked with developing and maintaining a strategic plan to help preserve the lake, as well as coordinate with all agencies and groups with a vested interest in the lake. 

Freeze has more than 15 years of experience working on conservation, according to the governor’s office. In her previous role as deputy commissioner, she helped advance legislation to add conservation tools to water users across the Great Salt Lake basin, and she “built relationships with state and federal agencies that contribute expertise to conservation initiatives for the lake,” the governor’s office said. 

Utah plans to buy, preserve more land on the south side of the Great Salt Lake 

Before working as deputy commissioner, Freeze worked as program manager of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s water optimization program, where she led efforts to reduce water use and increase water efficiency through planning, legislation and new irrigation technology, according to her bio posted on the commission’s website. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving Utah and the Great Salt Lake,” Freeze said in a prepared statement included in the governor’s announcement. “This work depends on strong relationships with water users, agricultural producers, state and federal agencies and others across the basin. I look forward to continuing those partnerships in this new role.”

Previously, Freeze spent 14 years working in conservation at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and local conservation districts, which her bio said “has been marked by building strong relationships with agricultural producers statewide, unifying and amplifying their voice in state-level discussions.”

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