Mormon Church gives water to boost imperiled Great Salt Lake

By SAM METZ
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Amid rising panic about the future of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is donating roughly the size of a small reservoir of water to help maintain the lake’s elevation. A high-ranking church official spoke to scientists and politicians at the University of Utah on Friday about becoming environmental stewards, while also sharing church’s commitment to relandscaping its temples and meetinghouses known for their neatly manicured grass. The church’s donation and focus on landscaping reignited debate among scientists and politicians over whether the policies on the table are aggressive enough to save the lake as it careens toward ecological collapse.