As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues his campaign to clean up the world's water, it's no surprise that Utah stands out on his list.

Utah is one of 49 states that warn anglers about dangerously contaminated fish in their lakes and streams, says Kennedy, the founder and chairman of a worldwide environmental group network called Waterkeeper Alliance. But the Great Salt Lake also has the highest background levels of toxic mercury measured anywhere in the United States. And Utah is the only state that advises against eating certain waterfowl because of mercury.

"We're living today in a science-fiction nightmare," said Kennedy, adding that every American child should be able to fish a local stream or lake and bring home a catch that is safe to eat.

Kennedy is in Park City this weekend to raise awareness about pollution-poisoned waterways and to raise money for the Waterkeeper Alliance. The group has a Colorado River chapter based in Moab, one of 192 Waterkeepers in 39 states and 19 countries.

On the group's long-term agenda: finding a new Great Salt Lakekeeper.

A past Great Salt Lakekeeper lost his license to operate a local chapter a year ago. The onetime director, Jeff Salt, was served with a cease and desist order last summer that demanded he stop using the name, according to Kennedy.

Kristine Stratton, executive director of the Waterkeeper Alliance, said Salt's chapter license was revoked because it failed to comply with alliance standards, not because of his ongoing legal struggles involving a domestic violence-related felony charge, she said.

Salt resigned from the alliance board after those criminal charges were filed in June 2008, and are still pending in 3rd District Court. When asked about the Waterkeeper dispute, he said Saturday: "No comment, because it's now headed to litigation. I'm not going to feed everyone's interest in this."

While Waterkeeper considers further legal action to stop Salt from continuing to use the alliance's trademark, Stratton said the group is looking to identify the right group or individual for the job.

The Great Salt Lake has long served as a dump for industry which devalues it as a natural resource, said Kennedy. It needs a strong advocate.

"The Great Salt Lakekeeper should be the eyes and ears for the Great Salt Lake," he said.

Kennedy noted that Utah wildlife, water quality and health agencies have received only a fraction of the money they need to test for mercury and address solutions.

One important element of dealing with mercury pollution is addressing the world's dependence on fossil fuels, said Kennedy. Mercury drifts into waterways after being pumped out of coal-fired power plants, he noted.

"Mercury is one of the hidden costs of burning coal," he said.