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bear lake needs assessment project opens at usu 

November 4, 2024



Utah State University photography students, under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Photography Jared Ragland, are playing a key role to document challenges facing Bear Lake.

The Bear Lake Needs Assessment Documentation and Visualization Project blends scientific research with visual storytelling to raise awareness of critical issues surrounding Bear Lake’s natural resources, land use and human impact. Photographs from the project will be exhibited from Nov. 4-Dec. 13 in the Tippetts and Eccles Galleries at USU’s Chase Fine Arts Center.

The project is one of 10 Bear Lake Needs Assessment research projects funded by grants from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and administered by USU’s Institute for Land, Water and Air (ILWA) to study critical issues within Bear Lake and the lands around it.

Bear Lake is unique in the region as one of just three large natural lakes in Utah. Over the past decade, visitation to Bear Lake, located on the Idaho-Utah border, has surged by 300%, amplifying concerns over development, water management and environmental sustainability. This has created additional challenges for the lake and those who maintain the land.

Through more than 20 field visits in 2024, Ragland and his students in the ART 3830 Documentary and Visual Storytelling class have worked with local stakeholders and Bear Lake Needs Assessment Project research teams. Ragland and his students have created a visual record that reflects the lake’s unique agriculture, infrastructure, recreation and ecological features while highlighting the efforts of USU researchers and community partners to safeguard the lake’s future.

The student photographers are: Lele Bonizzi, Eli Clare, Anastasia Coleman, Kennedy Fry, Annora Madden, and Kennedy McLeod. Additional contributions were made by recent USU BFA alumni Olivia Ethington (’24) and Kenzli Pendleton (’24).

Following the exhibition, select images from the documentary project will be featured in ILWA’s annual Report to the Governor and Legislature on Utah’s Land, Water and Air, and included in a comprehensive report to address the lake’s long-term management and support informed decision-making for future policies. An archive containing several hundred digital images will be archived by ILWA and provide a lasting resource for research and advocacy.

“At USU Photo, we are guided in our belief in photography’s critical role in contemporary culture,” Ragland said. “Through the making, learning and sharing of images, we encourage students to utilize photography as a tool for compassionate citizenship, meaningful storytelling, and impactful social change.

The Bear Lake Needs Assessment Documentation and Visualization Project has embodied these goals, Ragland said.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7.