When a wave pool project was announced in southern Utah recently – just outside of Zion National Park, a chronically drought-stricken region – more than a few eyebrows were raised. A wave pool, essentially a miniature artificial ocean, in a place that is so dry that residents have reportedly been shamed into reducing their water usage via sprinklers? Yeah, there were concerns.
But Zion Shores, the project from Desert Lakes LLC with the wave pool powered by American Wave Machines’ PerfectSwell surf lagoons, had a solution to the water issue. First of all, whereas golf courses in the region use somewhere between 120-to-150 million gallons of water annually, the wave pool will only use 30 million; and secondly, the water will be unusable for drinking anyway.
Acknowledging the apprehension, the folks behind Zion Shores recently wrote: “The concept of a surf park in the desert has understandably turned the heads of those concerned about the region’s public water supply and long-standing drought status. How can a surf park be built in the middle of the south Utah desert without compromising the area’s water supply?”
Related: World’s Largest PerfectSwell Wave Pool Coming to Utah
So, for the water used in the wave pool (which will be the largest PerfectSwell pool in the world) and the Unit Surf Pools (not one, but two standing waves), Zion Shores found a drought-friendly solution.
“The answer lies in an alternate independent water resource already found on the development site itself that does not draw from public drinking or irrigation supplies,” the project continued. “Zion Shores surf lagoons will be filled with non-potable brackish water from private onsite wells. Brackish water has a high salt content that is unfit for drinking or irrigation use, but when treated, is perfectly safe for recreational use. We will NOT be using any water from public water supplies. We’re ultimately utilizing a water source that would otherwise remain untapped — not drawing from the culinary or agricultural supply that local residents rely on.”
Problem solved? Sounds like it. Zion Shores is slated to open in 2027.
Related: Best Wave Pool Air Section Ever? Inside São Paulo Surf Club.