Salt Lake, which flows into the dwindling Great Salt Lake, is being saved from an invasion of deep-rooted phragmites, which grew so thick that wildlife and people couldn't get near the lake. Starting in 2009, the state's agriculture department has been aerial spraying Utah Lake with the herbicide glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, which critics say can cause cancer in human beings. But now, thanks to the treatment, 70% of the lake is free from the invasives, and 100% phragmite-free is the goal. Ted Williams recounts how controversial glyphosate is, but says in the case of Utah Lake, glyphosate is safe and the only alternative.
OPINION: How a controversial poison saved Utah Lake
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.