Chapter Three: Air

Windblown Dust Over Cache Valley | Steve Smith

Chapter 3 pdf

Introduction

Brian Steed

Utah’s air challenges are statewide—stretching from the Wasatch Front and Cache Valley to the Uinta Basin and communities downwind of the Great Salt Lake. Strengthening air quality monitoring and implementing emission-reduction strategies gives policymakers and residents the tools to better protect public health, guide investments, and respond to the most pressing sources of pollution.

In 2025, the Utah Division of Air Quality advanced a major expansion of its dust particulate (PM₁₀) monitoring network. A preliminary plan for 19 new dust monitors—a mix of continuous and filter-based instruments—was designed to monitor dust from the Great Salt Lake, West Desert, Sevier Dry Lake, and other playas. These new data sources will help scientists and regulators understand the timing, severity, and composition of dust events that affect nearby communities and accelerate snowmelt in mountain watersheds.

Along the Wasatch Front, summer ozone remains one of the most persistent air quality challenges. Hot, sunny days combine with vehicle emissions, industrial activity, wildfire smoke, and complex mountain-valley meteorology to create ozone concentrations that regularly exceed federal health standards. Recent multi-agency research efforts, such as the Utah Summer Ozone Study, are expanding monitoring and chemical analysis to better identify the sources and conditions driving these spikes. These findings are critical to help refine strategies that will reduce ozone precursors and protect public health during peak summer months.

Expanded monitoring for both dust and ozone supports health and deepens our scientific understanding of Utah’s unique air quality dynamics. Just as importantly, it creates a foundation of trusted data that can guide state policy while giving local communities the information they need to adapt and respond.

Figure 3.I.1 Existing and Proposed Particulate Matter Monitoring Locations 

A map of northern Utah showing the Great Salt Lake and surrounding counties, labeled BOX ELDER, CACHE, WEBER, MORGAN, DAVIS, TOOELE, SALT LAKE, SUMMIT, WASATCH, and UTAH. The Great Salt Lake is shaded in dark blue, with rivers and reservoirs labeled in smaller type, including the Bear River, Weber River, Jordan River, Pineview Reservoir, and Willard Bay Reservoir. The map shows locations of particulate matter monitoring stations, using three types of circular markers: Dark red dots represent new monitoring locations. Red dots with blue outlines represent new capacity at existing sites. Solid dark blue dots represent existing monitoring locations. Most monitoring sites cluster around the Wasatch Front, following the urban corridor from Box Elder County in the north through Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah Counties in the south. In Box Elder County, two new monitoring locations appear near the Bear River and Willard Bay Reservoir. In Weber County, one new and one new-capacity site are shown along the Weber River area. Davis County has one new monitoring site near the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake County contains the highest density of points, with several new and new-capacity sites interspersed among existing ones, concentrated near the Jordan River and central valley. Tooele County, west of the Great Salt Lake, has a single new site near the base of the Oquirrh Mountains. No monitoring sites are shown in Cache, Morgan, Summit, Wasatch, or Utah Counties on this map segment. A legend in the lower left corner identifies the color and meaning of each dot type under the heading “Particulate Matter Monitoring Locations.”

Map Created by Kori Ann Kurtzeborn, Data from Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Sections

3A: Summertime Ozone on the Wasatch Front

Substantial progress has been made to reduce ozone- forming emissions, yet ozone levels remain stagnant. Research is required to identify effective reduction targets for locally caused ozone pollution.

3C: The Impacts of Wildfire on Air Quality

Wildfires bring localized particulate matter pollution during summer months. Its chemical composition varies from typical particulate matter pollution, presenting new health challenges.

3E: The Science of Contrails

Science from the age of steam helps explain contrail formations. Depending on atmospheric circumstances, sometimes they are visible and other times invisible.

Utah's Air in the News
As we’ve tracked Utah and national news through 2025, we have compiled some of the key air issues and topics that have appeared in media outlets this year.