Where the water was

What happens if the largest body of water west of the Mississippi dries up and turns into an environmental bomb? Will hundreds of thousands of people be displaced? Will mercury and arsenic poison the air across the United States? We’re on the precipice of what could become the most destructive natural disaster in the United States.

Utah, like much of the American West, is facing an unprecedented water crisis caused by water diversion to corporate farming and breakneck urban growth, leaving little water for the Great Salt Lake. Buried in the bed of the lake are several heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury. If the lake dries up completely, these metals, which are toxic to human and animal life, could be blown into the air, effectively poisoning Utah residents.

I'm Edward Quintero, a native Utahn and photographer, currently shooting a series of images on the water crisis at the Great Salt Lake. The series portrays the inevitable experience of current and future generations if nothing is done to prevent the lake from drying up.

I'm asking for your help by sharing this GoFundMe page on your social media. Please ask your friends and family to share as well so we can spread the word about the water crisis happening in the west.

How the funds will be used

The proceeds from the campaign will be used in multiple ways: