Kevin O'Leary's Utah data center again draws protests over Great Salt Lake water
O’Leary Digital has submitted a new application to transfer irrigation water in Box Elder County for its proposed Stratos data center campus near Snowville. Nearly 200 Utahns have filed protests, citing concerns about water use and potential effects on the Great Salt Lake, while the developer argues the project would increase downstream flows.
O’Leary Digital submitted a new water-rights change application for its proposed Stratos, or Wonder Valley Utah, hyperscale data center complex near Snowville in Box Elder County. The request would redirect water historically used by Bar H Ranch for irrigation to power generation and other commercial and industrial purposes. The planned campus could eventually include 11 data center clusters and 7.5 gigawatts of power generation for artificial intelligence systems.
The application estimates annual diversion of about 1,215 acre-feet of water at full buildout, with roughly 987 acre-feet representing net depletion after projected returns. The proposal includes a pipeline for unused water and return flows, and the company contends the project would send more water to the Great Salt Lake than has historically reached it. Nearly 200 residents filed protests within days, following the withdrawal of two earlier applications that also drew significant opposition.