In a triumph of negotiation over litigation, local,
state and federal officials in Utah recently ended a decade-long
dispute over water near Zion National Park.
By
swapping two potential dam sites above the park for a new one below
it, negotiators ensured water both for the national park and for
local faucets. Most importantly, says Zion Superintendent Donald
Falvey, the deal keeps Virgin River water flowing in
perpetuity.
The proposed dam sites on the North
and East forks of the Virgin River would have altered the natural
river flow, changing the park’s habitat and the erosional processes
that caused the canyons in the first place, says Falvey. The
alternative, a large dam and reservoir in Sand Hollow, Utah, will
supply water to Washington County, one of the fastest-growing
counties in the country, without threatening the park. Park
officials also consented to limited future water development north
of Zion.
Jerry Olds, an engineer in Utah’s
Division of Water Rights, says the water deal is the first time
Utah has formally recognized and specified an amount for a national
park’s reserved water rights.
*Sarah
Dry
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Water deal quenches many thirsts.
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