Save Dry Wash for Ivins Open Space

“It’s a travesty to build that reservoir there in my opinion, " Marten said. “We’ll regret it five or 10 years later but [Dry Wash] will be ruined by that point.”

“Can you imagine filling a nature preserve full of sewage water only partially treated?” he asks. “Dry Wash has always been designated as an open space. … Ivins is in desperate need of more open space as developers pave every available parcel with homes.”

“Putting a reservoir in an established residential community raises a lot of issues”

“Dry Wash [contains] some of the finest open space in the county …,” he said. “The land is popular with hikers, mountain bikers, bird watchers and photographers. Placing a reservoir there is like putting a Walmart in Snow Canyon. It would be totally out of place.”

Unruly and noisy crowds at nearby Ivins Reservoir are already a problem for many residents. Another bugaboo, study group members attest, are hordes of gnats that plague the area each year from late spring through fall and make it difficult for residents to open home windows or sit outside. They note the reservoir, like others in the area, could be infested with invasive Tamarisk trees and contaminated with toxic algae blooms.

Poor planning by the WCWCD should not subject the citizens of Ivins to a water project that would permanently destroy an area that has been designated open space in the general plan. The constant encroachment on the natural environment due to unrestrained growth means that the few remaining natural areas are and will become increasingly valuable as havens for wildlife and potential recreational opportunities as the city continues to grow.