Farmers accused of drying up the imperiled Great Salt Lake say they can help save it

Receding water in Utah's Great Salt Lake is seen on March 5. Environmentalists are suing the state to force water cutbacks to farmers to save the Great Salt Lake. (Lindsay D'Addato for NPR)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — One of Deeda Seed's favorite spots to hike is a trail above her neighborhood that snakes up the steep Wasatch Mountains for an amazing view of Salt Lake City.

But on a recent afternoon, a brown cloud blanketed the valley, obscuring views of the downtown skyline. You could barely make out the Great Salt Lake off to the West.