Troubled Waters
Matt Marten, Kayenta Development Inc. 2-14-2024
A consequential reservoir project is in the planning process but little detail is known
For almost three years, the proposed Dry Wash project has been slowly moving forward, slated for an area of Ivins City and within the Kayenta planning area. Construction details, management, costs, and public safety are still raising questions.
Dry Wash
Dry Wash is a naturally pristine area in the Ivins City boundary that was owned by State Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA). The wash extends from Kwavasa Drive (at the dip in the road) down to Highway 91. It is an area that was planned as a natural open space for public enjoyment. This vision goes back to 1978 and is included in the Kayenta policy declaration as a part of the annexation by William Carma Associates (the original partners in Kayenta) with the Town of Ivins. By 1994 a general plan for the Kayenta area in Ivins established the vision for Dry Wash as a “Proposed Pristine Natural Park “. For several decades, the developers of Kayenta planned to purchase Dry Wash to expand the community’s
footprint. Chiefly, Terry Marten was the driving force behind this effort. Since 1994, he has developed a long-standing relationship with SITLA with an eye toward this goal.
By 2017, Marten started the process of finalizing the purchase of state-owned land adjacent to Kayenta. In 2021 he had closed on most of the state parcels excluding the Dry Wash site. The Dry Wash was to be the final sale completing the vision.
The purchase of land from SITLA was a five-year process. Terry Marten had secured all the real estate that was developable, adding it to the Kayenta footprint. The balance of the land (Dry Wash) was land that would not be developed. Dry wash is comprised of floodplain, steep slopes, and rock formations. SITLA had agreed to sell the land to Marten with the understanding it would be conveyed to Ivins City or another entity to provide a pristine natural park. By March 2021, the land sale had been approved by the trust and closing documents were being prepared.
Within a matter of five days, Terry Marten received word that Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) had contracted with the state blocking the sale. After little interest in the project for 17 years, WCWCD announced its intention to build a reuse waste-water storage reservoir in Dry Wash.
Early in the talks, Marten negotiated with WCWCD to mitigate the impact on the reservoir project stating: “I am against the reservoir but if it is good for Ivins, I would reluctantly acquiesce.
Negotiations continued and it was determined by Marten and WCWCD that the reservoir had been tentatively planned for a 1,200-acre feet reservoir. This size was based on a two-decades- old Environmental Assessment that was about to expire.
In November 2021, the WCWCD agreed to submit are agreed-upon plan to the city. With scant details about the reservoir, the Ivins City Council voted affirmatively a resolution that allow the WCWCD to explore the development of an even larger reservoir. The larger reservoir would be a minimum of 1,500-acre feet or greater. This was not what had been represented to Terry Marten and was in conflict with the Environmental Assessments recommendation.
Marten and others have brought up concerns surrounding the location, which include cost, management, safety, health, and nuisances. More than two years later, none of these concerns have been appropriately addressed in detail.
Statement from Kayenta Development Inc. opposing the Dry Wash Reservoir:
Forty-eight years ago, the vision for Kayenta was established in the southwest corner of Washington County, Utah. Before the Kayenta community could become a reality, a water supply had to be sourced and secured. By 1978, the Ence Wells were developed tapping into the Santa Clara aquifer. The security of this water lease assured Kayenta could move forward.
Kayenta was founded knowing the importance of water availability and conservation. One of the basic tenets of the development concept for Kayenta is to be respectful of water as a precious resource. Out of necessity, Kayenta embraced a water-wise concept as one of its core values.
Preservation of the natural landscape and water-wise desert landscaping are basic agreements we live by in the Kayenta Community and are values shared by many Ivins residents. Kayenta Development Inc.’s mission is to maintain and develop the values and covenants of Kayenta.
Kayenta Development Inc. opposes a reservoir in Dry Wash because it is in direct conflict with our mission and the community plan and covenant. On the surface, it would seem a reservoir to conserve, and reuse water would be consistent with our values, and it is. As we consider the details of a reservoir in Dry Wash, concerning questions rise to the surface. We fundamentally object to the reservoir due to its location and proposed methods of use. With its location in the middle of the Kayenta planning area, Dry Wash is an irreplaceable natural open space for Kayenta, Ivins residents, and the public. We believe Dry Wash should be preserved as a natural feature that provides open space accessible to everyone. For decades, Dry Wash has been earmarked to be a pristine natural park.
The Dry Wash Reservoir is planned to store treated sewer water to be reused for water parks, golf courses, and agricultural crops. The water level of the reservoir would rise and fall with seasonal need. The reservoir would not be for public recreation, nor would it be an environmental
asset. While the proposed reservoir might temporarily reduce demand on culinary water for irrigation it provides no benefit to Kayenta and may have little tangible value to Ivins given the tradeoffs.
The proposed Dry Wash Reservoir undermines decades of planning, land acquisitions, and agreements. It threatens sensitive land, natural habitat, open-space transportation planning/ connectivity, public health /safety, and the existing Santa Clara aquifer freshwater wells. The visual impact is also in conflict with the reason many residents have chosen to live and invest in Ivins. It compromises the natural beauty and wild nature of the area.
To date, the myriad unresolved questions surrounding the proposed reservoir have effectively stopped planning in the southeast portion of Kayenta. From a development business standpoint, this is devastating to decades of agreements and planning efforts. It creates an unstable dynamic that diverts energy and focus away from other pressing planning issues. While investment, obligations, and profit are the core of every company and organization, Kayenta Development Inc.’s mission is to build the Kayenta Community based on its fundamental vision of living in balance with nature.
For decades it has been known that southern Utah would need more water to grow. Fast-paced growth in areas of Washington County has fueled the need to expand water conservation efforts and seek alternative water sources such as reuse. It is not our intention to obstruct water planning and conservation efforts. We welcome collaboration and meaningful conversations that contribute to knowledge and effort to secure water for the future of Washington County, Ivins, and Kayenta.
Watch Ivins City for public hearings
Contact Ivins City Council with your concerns
Attend Talk About hosted by Mayor Hart
WHEN
Wednesday, February 21st at 7 pm
at Rocky Vista University for a Water Talkabout.
It’s an opportunity to ask Zach Renstrom, head of the WCWCD, your questions.