Listen live: What does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ water donation mean for the Great Salt Lake?

 

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that it would donate 5,700 of its water shares to help the deteriorating Great Salt Lake.

The 5,700 shares turn out to be around 20,000 acre-feet, which is about the size of Little Dell Reservoir.

The church said it used that water for agricultural purposes and the donation makes sure water from these shares will be perpetually directed to the lake.

Utah leaders react

Gov. Spencer Cox said with the donation from the church, along with the money the legislature just gave, the future of the lake has never been more secure.

We’ve been working on this for a long time and I’m so excited to finally make it public. We are so grateful to the church for their generosity and stewardship. Together with the state’s $1B investment and massive policy changes, the future of the lake has never been more secure! https://t.co/HLKgWpKqGD

— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) March 15, 2023

“I just want to extend my personal gratitude to the church for their incredibly generous donation,” Cox said.

House Speaker Brad Wilson said it will help Utah’s water supply for years to come.

Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said it takes a collaborative effort on a scale larger than anything we’ve seen to save the lake. Mendenhall credited the church for leading out.

Bonneville International Corporation, the company that owns KSL NewsRadio, is a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.