Stratos developers withdraw water filing amid protests, plan to refile

Developers behind the proposed Stratos Project data center in Box Elder County, Utah, have withdrawn their water rights application from the Utah Division of Water Rights. The withdrawal by Bar H. Ranch, Inc., occurred on May 5, following over 4,000 public complaints and protests from residents and community organizations. Water consultant Logan Riley, representing Bar H. Ranch, indicated the company plans to refile the application soon with additional supporting information to demonstrate its feasibility. This decision comes after the application drew significant opposition due to concerns about the project's scale and its potential impacts on water resources and the Great Salt Lake basin. Environmental groups, including Grow the Flow and the Sierra Club Utah Chapter, criticized the withdrawal, arguing it effectively restarts the public protest process, forcing residents to re-submit costly protests. Ben Abbott, executive director of Grow the Flow, called it "another breach of trust," while Maria Archibald of the Sierra Club highlighted residents' efforts and the perceived silencing by officials. Despite these concerns, MIDA and Box Elder County officials maintain the project will not divert existing water rights for homes or agriculture and will utilize a closed-loop cooling system, using existing rights totaling approximately 13,000 acre-feet of water annually.