Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Dreyfous
Hi Jake, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a fifth generation Utahn, growing up 25 minutes from Great Salt Lake’s shores. From duck hunting the Lake’s wetlands, to fishing its tributaries, and skiing its Greatest snow on earth, Great Salt Lake has been integral to my upbringing and understanding on the place I call home.
In late 2023, Grow the Flow recognized an immense need to unify siloed efforts to save Great Salt Lake and build bridges between geographically and ideologically diverse communities across the watershed. Grow the Flow is harnessing the political and public will to restore Great Salt Lake by empowering citizens, identifying non-partisan solutions, and leading collaborative efforts with NGOs, the private sector, community members, institutions, and government leaders to get water to the Lake.
Restoring Great Salt Lake is more than an environmental crisis, it is a fight for our home. Dust storms from a dry lake-bed will impact the air we all breathe. The lake’s ongoing decline will devastate a multi-billion dollar economy that connects us to communities worldwide through the production on critical minerals, brine shrimp, and fertilizers that help feed the world. Let alone the 12 million migratory birds increasingly relying on Great Salt Lake, as similar habitats around the world decline and disappear.
In an era of political polarization, Grow the Flow views Great Salt Lake’s restoration as the opportunity to come together— beyond party lines—and become the first community worldwide to save a saline lake.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Solving a problem as immense and complex as restoring Great Salt Lake will never be easy. But, we believe Utah is uniquely positioned to rise to the occasion.
Since out inception, we have seen immense philanthropic leadership, bipartisan commitment from the State, and an unprecedented non-governmental unification to address the crisis of Great Salt Lake’s decline.
But, we need to get our foot back on the gas. The heavy snow years the past two winters provided Utah with a window of opportunity to take action. Without the wet winters, the lake would likely already be ecologically dead, continuing to plummet below the record low it reached in late 2022 (4188.5 ft). Yet, legislative efforts have moved towards complacency, with much need water policy and funding coming largely to a halt during the 2025 Legislative Session.
The crisis of losing Great Salt Lake will not be solved by a few wet winters. Becoming the first community in the world to save a saline lake will necessitate robust and sustained commitments from State and Federal governments, the public, and the private sector. If we want to avoid reaching record lows again, we must address the crisis at Great Salt Lake with the urgency and commitment it demands.
We’ve been impressed with Grow the Flow, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Grow the Flow prides itself in leading collaboratively and learning from others. We are here for a sole purpose: getting more water to Great Salt Lake.
We place a strong emphasis on volunteer engagement and empowerment. With staffers in Salt Lake, Utah Valley, and Cache County, we are here to help engage community members across the watershed and build the geographically diverse movement necessary to address the crisis at Great Salt Lake. This problem will not be solved by Salt Lake City urbanites, and the burden of responsibility cannot fall exclusively on agriculture. It will necessitate all of us across the watershed.
With local Grow the Flow chapters at cities and universities from Provo to Logan, we are providing residents with a powerful opportunity to turn their time, resources, and expertise into action. If you are interested in joining our grassroots efforts, you can do so at: https://growtheflowutah.org/chapters/
Regardless of your background, expertise, or ideology there is a place for you at Grow the Flow.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Our work would not be possible without the commitment and passion of our many volunteers. Our team of volunteers play an instrumental role in organizing legislative actions, community fundraisers, events, and educational campaigns. The voices of community members across the watershed are critical in building the public power necessary to empower our state legislature into acting rapidly and swiftly to restore Great Salt Lake.
Pricing:
- Sign up for our newsletter: https://growtheflowutah.org/join/
- Join a GTF Chapter: https://growtheflowutah.org/chapters/
- Donate: https://growtheflowutah.org/donate/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://growtheflowutah.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growtheflowutah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Grow-the-Flow-61550712543454/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowTheFlow
