SALT LAKE CITY — The bees fly around, landing on the lavender plants. Nearby, a sub-surface drip irrigation system sputters to life.
The landscaping in front of the chapel on A Street in Salt Lake City's historic Avenues neighborhood has been completely redesigned to feature water-wise, native plants.
"This is a good display to members we need to work on things. We’ll continue to do that and provide that kind of encouragement," said David Wright, a landscaping architect who works in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' facilities department.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a major property owner in the state — recently answered questions from FOX 13 News about its landscaping and water conservation practices. The faith now has an Office of Sustainability that does include some of its environmental practices. The Church has been praised for its donations of water to the Great Salt Lake, but also has faced criticism for lush, green lawns at chapels and temples across the state that stand out in the midst of a drought.
But Wright, who designs much of the new landscaping appearing at chapels and temples owned by the Church, said they are instituting changes across the region. For example, the Avenues chapel, saw its landscaping changed for water-wise plants at the request of local members. There is still some turf that people can sit on, but it no longer runs the length of the property.
"I think the Church is trying to work with the conditions that we have as best as possible. Lawn has been a pretty comfortable approach to go to," he said. "It's not all bad. There's value in it and I'd even say there's value in the in the non-functional turf, but we are honestly moving away from that — especially in our new buildings."
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Among the changes being instituted? Smarter sprinkler timers, sub-surface drip irrigation systems and even replacing turf with different varieties that do use less water. Wright told FOX 13 News the landscaping changes are being made as sprinkler systems and other landscaping changes need to be made at a particular chapel or temple.
"We aren't necessarily doing it everywhere at the time being, but we're looking for the best ways to address the topic of water conservation," he said.
Chapels in southern Utah and Nevada, which are part of the Colorado River Basin, are seeing significant reductions in turf. FOX 13 News observed several in the St. George area that had undergone landscaping conversions to be more water-wise. In Nevada, the Church is removing all nonfunctional turf at its properties to comply with a new law requiring it.
The changes the Church is enacting is also being used for research to determine best practices, Wright said. Asked if the Church has documented water savings, Wright said it was still to soon to get an accurate measurement.
"But theoretically, you can save quite a bit of water," he added.
That water would go back into the water system where the chapel is at. In 2023, the LDS Church did donate water shares it had in northern Utah to help prop up the Great Salt Lake which has dipped to historic lows. The Church confirmed to FOX 13 News it does intend to make another donation to the lake soon.
"I think now they're seeing that they can play a role in calling Latter-day Saints to be good stewards of of the earth," said Mike Maxwell with the nonprofit environmental group Latter-day Saint Earth Stewardship, which seeks to encourage members of the faith to honor God through better conservation practices.
A frequent complaint FOX 13 News and the Great Salt Lake Collaborative fields from the public involves chapels that are found to be watering in the middle of the day. Often, that can be caused by sprinkler system timers that aren't working properly. If someone sees it and would like it addressed? Wright said contact a member who attends that wardhouse.
"One of the best ways to do that is to talk with a member of the Church and anybody who’s on a Ward Council has the ability to fill out a facilities incident report that can say 'Hey, water’s running at this time' and can come out and take care of it," Wright said.
Maxwell said like everyone, the Church is adapting to the climate they're in.
"These are all new muscles we have to develop here in Utah. The Church recognizes that they've taken some steps toward that," he told FOX 13 News. "But in those steps, they've also recognized this isn't an easy or inexpensive thing to do, and it's something we're going to have to do over time. Having said all that, my position, I'd continue to love to see them move more quickly on all of those things."
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.
