Water rights application filed for Box Elder County data center; project details emerge
A new water rights application has been filed for the controversial Box Elder County data center project in Utah. This application, for 11 acre-feet of water from Hansel Valley, follows an earlier, much larger application that was withdrawn. Opponents have filed protests, citing concerns about water depletion and the impact on the Great Salt Lake, despite proponents highlighting the project's national defense importance and a closed-loop water system.
A new water rights application has been filed for the contentious Box Elder County data center project in Utah, stirring further debate. The application seeks 11 acre-feet of water from an unnamed spring in Hansel Valley, one of three proposed development areas, for power production and a closed-loop data center cooling system. This follows the withdrawal of a previous application for 1,900 acre-feet.
Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity represented by Deeda Seed, express ongoing concerns about water consumption, particularly in light of dwindling Great Salt Lake levels. Marcia Wendorf, a Box Elder County resident, filed the first protest against the new application, arguing it lacks sufficient detail and would impair existing water rights and the preservation of the Great Salt Lake. Proponents, led by Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary and O'Leary Digital, counter that the closed-loop system minimizes consumptive water loss and emphasizes the project's strategic importance for U.S. military and national defense.
Renderings published by architectural magazine Dezeen, designed by Gensler, depict the 'Stratos Project Area' or 'Wonder Valley Utah' as a complex of 60 data center buildings, a 3,000-acre solar array, and a natural-gas-fired facility with battery storage. Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO, highlighted the design's aesthetic ambition to integrate with the West Desert landscape. The Military Installation Development Authority board and Box Elder County commissioners approved the project plans in late April and early May, respectively, though public opposition continues.