"Ocean" To Be Built In Arizona Desert

As Part Of Water Sports Theme Park That May Use 60 Million To 100 Million Gallons A Year

(CBS/AP)  What will the gila monsters and coyotes think?

A project reminiscent of Ski Dubai - the world's largest snow park, in a country where daytime temperatures average 113 degrees - is taking shape in the Arizona desert. Water, not snow, is the theme for this one.

Developers plan to build a massive new water park that would offer surf-sized waves, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking - all in a bone-dry region that gets just 8 inches of rain a year.

"It's about delivering a sport that's not typically available in an urban environment," said Richard Mladick, a real estate developer who persuaded business leaders in suburban Mesa to support the proposal, called the Waveyard.

Artists' drawings of the park show surfers gliding through waves that crash onto a sandy beach, and kayakers navigating the whitecaps of a wide, roiling river. Families watch the action from beneath picnic umbrellas. If constructed, the park would use as much as 100 million gallons of groundwater a year.

That water use may raise future questions in a state that has been in a drought for a decade.

Many other water-hungry projects dot Arizona, courtesy of water tapped from rivers and pumped from deep underground. They include carpets of Bermuda grass, swimming pools, golf courses and lakeshore homes.

Waveyard's developer, Mladick, who is 39, says he wants to create the kind of lush environment he remembers from growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and surfing in Morocco, Indonesia, Hawaii and Brazil.

"I couldn't imagine raising my kids in an environment where they wouldn't have the opportunity to grow up being passionate about the same sports that I grew up being passionate about," he said.

The Waveyard, to be built 15 miles east of Phoenix, would dwarf the typical water-slide parks familiar to many Arizona families and at 125 acres, is considerably bigger than Ski Dubai, a close cousin in terms of rising above nature.

The Arizona water sports complex is to include an artificial whitewater river with multiple channels where kayakers can test themselves on Class 2 to Class 4 rapids. Visitors could enjoy an artificial beach and a simulated ocean capable of producing different size waves, from 12-foot barreling waves to tamer chop for boogie boarders.

The park will feature a scuba lagoon, a snorkeling pond with reefs and a rock-climbing center. The park will also have restaurants, a shopping district, a spa, and a hotel and conference center.

Jerry Hug, a businessman who co-founded the project, said he expects it will eventually generate more than $1 billion in revenue and create 7,500 jobs. That is especially attractive in Mesa, a city of about 460,000 people that has struggled to keep up with the booming development of its neighbors.

"We don't have a property tax in our city," said Eric Jackson, chairman of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. "It requires us to be very heavily dependent on revenues from sales taxes."

Mesa voters overwhelmingly approved their proposal on Nov. 6, granting the Waveyard an estimated $35 million in tax incentives with more than 65 percent of the vote.

No citizens groups overtly opposed the project, but its water usage may raise questions in the future as the growing Phoenix areas struggles to replenish its vast aquifer. Arizona has been in a drought for a decade, and rivers that feed Phoenix and surrounding communities experienced near-record low measurements this year.

"Water is a scarce and valued commodity," said Jim Holway, associate director of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

Holway said the Phoenix area currently enjoys huge supplies of underground water. But it is tough to determine how long communities can sustain their rate of water consumption, given that global warming may make the desert even drier.

The Waveyard will need as much as 50 million gallons of water at first to fill its artificial oceans and rivers.

Replenishing water lost to evaporation and spillage will require another 60 million gallons to 100 million gallons per year, enough to support about 1,200 people in the Phoenix area.

Project organizers say they will not tap Mesa's drinking water supplies to fill the park. Instead, they plan to draw from a well that has elevated levels of arsenic, which makes its water unsuitable for drinking. The Waveyard will build a treatment plant to make the water safe for swimmers.

Rita Maguire, a former director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources who studied water availability for Waveyard developers, said the project will not use any more water than one of Arizona's many golf courses.

"Initially, the reaction is, 'Oh, my - is this an appropriate use of water in a desert?"'

"But recreation is a very important part of a community. And if you can make the use of that water in a highly efficient way, it's a smart choice," she said.

Holway agreed, saying communities could do a better job using water in public spaces "that everybody can enjoy as opposed to having lush yards that we just lock behind fences."

"From that point of view, maybe this is a good thing."

[hdunker]

This sounds great. Now why don''t they tell him to build a large desalination plant to provide water for his park and excess for the population near by. Give him great tax breaks only if he builds the desalination plant. This would be a good way to force a way of getting water that the US. needs.

[brianbwb-2009]

Reminds one of Masada, where, while under siege from the Romans, a group of resisters in a mountaintop fortress wasted the last of their water in a show meant to demoralize the Romans.

It didn''t work then, either, and only hastened their doom.

[itgranny]

This is all fine and dandy if its not ground water or water from rivers and streams that is supposed to go to other communities. If they can figure out how to get ocean water inland that far, desalinate it and not have others pay for it because they go bankrupt, I''m ok with it.

[runningralph]

Why can''t we build a canal from the Gulf of California to the Salton Sea and then into Death Valley and restore these regions to what they once were- parts of the ocean? Is there some engineering reason? What is the downside?

[bobgee_1999]

How mind-numbingly inane. Mladick''s statement is incredibly stupid. If your kids surfing is so important to you, why do you live in a desert, pinhead? Some of us live here because we value what a desert is, not because we want to make money off it, *********. Typical American "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" attitude.

[eah59]

Note to developers: Phoenix is a desert! Deserts don''t have water! I used to live in that area: new homeowners were encouraged to use xeriscape as a means to help conserve water. Now this bozo wants to build a theme park that will use more water than the area can handle. If he wants to raise his children so that they can learn to enjoy the water sports he grew up with, then maybe he should move to an area that already has those features. Besides, Phoenix has plenty of outdoor activities - even a few lakes; why now learn to utilize what''s already there - who knows, maybe the developer and his kids can find new interests to enjoy.

[ianlou]

Where will they get the water?
Perhaps Bush has promised them Lake Michigan
and will brag about all the jobs the new pipline will create.

[oleander8]

This proposal is too dumb to even think of an adequate response. You want to surf? Go to the ocean.

[yongamerica]

What is not being said here in so many words is:
The developer is using a public well, pulling up almost 274 thousand gallons of water a day. This will certainly impact other wells in the surrounding area.

A water treatment plant will be built to make the water safe for swimming. Which means the water treatment plant is going to require large amounts of electricity and chemicals to remove the arsenic. The arsenic is a hazardous waster, so expensive handling and dispoal methods will be needed for that. Meanwhile, this water is now safe for human use which means this valuable resource could be used a multitude of applications other than a big swimming pool.

A huge water park will be built, that again uses a large amount of electrical power, in an area that doesn''t generate any and faces shortages regularly especially suring the summer.

If this project is approved and built it will speak volumes about the local government''s idiocy, especially during a time and in a desert area where both water and electricity are both valuable commodities.

[fstop100]

We need to be responsible about conservation, this is as bad as it gets.

[insightman-2009]

Is this article unbelievable or what? I cannot believe that the people living in the Pheonix area would support such a huge waste of their precious water. Are the people of Mesa that uninformed about what is happening? The reason for this park is so incredibly stupid too. It just goes to show you that people with money don''t necessarily get it because they''re smart. Lots of Forest Gumps in the world and brats born with silver spoons in their mouths. These people need to get a clue.

I am sure they will create a sea breeze for this project. I bet the people will be standing in line to experience this out door sauna.

[cyberus-2009]

And they want to pipe Great Lakes water west "because they need the water''?

[jeffstersf]

Why waste the time, energy and money? With global warming melting ice sheets in Antartica and Greenland, Phoenix will be beachfront property before you can say BRAINDEAD DEVELOPER.

[wolf563]

This is a gov. test project for living in a desert area . Life on other planets would need to have close to the same setup as this would . Not a bad idea but it should be funded by the world .

[rational_1]

This is an absolutely brain-dead idea and anyone who invests in it is a moron. Pumping out 100 million gallons of groundwater annually!!! Hey Einsteins, where you planning on getting water for your water park once you deplete the groundwater? Maybe switch to sandsurfing? I live about 25 miles west of Austin and depend on groundwater. We''ve had problems with supply and most everyone is well aware of the need to conserve since aquifer recharge rates are slow. A developer here was using groundwater to fill a couple of ponds and quickly became very unpopular; to his credit he stopped. And this was nothing compared to the scale of these jokers in Arizona.

[allunknowing]

lol, this is NOT Dubai. This is America where we only pay the contractor who is the lowest bidder. Unfortunately the lowest bidder is usually not the smartest and most savvy group of engineers. I foresee this project to be run similar to how the DOT is run. All projects are overbudget and understaffed with projected deadlines running short about 10 years.

Dubai engineering rocks.

[jamestennant]

This is just ridicules. What a waste of water and no one so far has mentioned what this huge humidifier is going to do to the already high temperatures here in the desert. It will definitely raise the humidity in the valley, which we have already done with all the plants and grass people have brought in.

We live in a desert. Some people live here because they need the dry heat, so we are going to make it a sauna and drive them out...

[gunshack1]

What they need to do is find a real low spot in Arizona or somewhere close and dig a ditch to the ocean. This would solve two problems. One, it would give them their big swimming pool and two, it would provide a place for all the water comming of the melting ice caps. This isn''t April first is it?

[iphotografu]

I live half a block away from the Great Lakes. The next time I hear anyone in the Western U.S. saying they should get our water, I''m going to point them to Phoenix, instead.

What a bunch of spoiled little twerps. The guy wants his kids to grow up enjoying the same sports he liked as a kid? Then MOVE to the ocean, idiot.

[godseyesore-2009]

Oh yeah, head in sand like there isn''t global warming, future droughts, disaster for the planet. Self-centered, greedy, blackheart developers will stop at nothing (they sure have republican administration blessings). How do they sleep at night? Very well...but our consolation is, they too will pass...sooner than later hopefully.

[mrsbrown000]

if you want sun move to arizona if you want water move to michigan. the great lakes compact, thank god, forbids sw states to use great lakes water. no pipeline. our lakes here are already 2-3 feet below normal. i dont see how this will get off the ground, actually.

[blondmadison]

Children and families are starving all over the world. Water shortages abound just here in the U.S.
The homeless situation is the worst it has ever been. We have slums all over the U.S. from businesses which zoomed into a community then took off when the zeal wore off. We as a globe, have a huge problem with global warming.

When do the business freaks of this global community have to be responsible for their product to the point, that people and environments matter more than making another profit for just themselves?

Who gave the clearance for this project of pure wreckless. unconscious to the point of sick psycho-tic greed?

Who are these freaks of nature?

[rochest]

this project will benefit more people then a golf course and it uses the same amount of water ... my solution just trade. shut down one golf course and use that water for the water park. you know we all have to make sacrifices in this world!

[jowand]

He should go back to Virginia Beach ASAP

[danstoned]

ONly in Arizona would the unfettered capilatists allow such a ridiculous plan. The only attraction to date in Arizona is its low humidity. Open water, no matter what its source, will increase humidity. People in Arizona deserve to be even more uncomfortable with their 110 degree summers and potentially 60% humidity if they allow this wavepark to be built.

[bbrundj]

Hmm, the opinion gods have spoken, and they''re not pleased, or agreeable with this far-out scheme. It is greed and exploitation that motivates such dreams. All the opinionated responders are correct.

[marcodele]

Greed spills.

[danstoned]

Posted by BlondMadison
Who are these freaks of nature?

Unfettered Capitalists, Generation X types, whos parents graduated from high school between 1946 to 1962, those that usually vote as Republicons that live for today, not for tomorrow, the same fools that have gottten the USA into its present state of unprecedented decline.

[mc_trump]

I think that it sucks I live in Utah and we have been saving water so that places like Las Vegas can exist
Now this I think that I will not be saving water anymore.........for oceans and fountains I think that Utah should flush their toilets and give them that water and no more for lake Powell if they have so much to build an ocean why do they need ours.
Also if some spoiled rich guy needs these things for his children move to the ocean.

[jetranger7]

Let me get this straight, this Richard Guy whos "39-Years old", is trying to sell this Disasterous idea to the residents and his best Pitch is, I can''t Imagine other kids growing up with out the things I grew up with ??? Your Kidding ?? Are the Banks and Investors really falling for this, I see a Bankruptcy coming on, 1st of all, how much is it going to cost to be able to go to this thing to play, you can bet it''ll be Expensive !!! Those 7,500 Jobs seem good now, wonder how many there will be when people find out they can''t afford this thing, then theres lay-offs ! This guys Illusionary Dream Obviously doesn''t take into consideration for the future residents of the area or the future businesses who''ll depend on normal water, I see multiple problems here, the thought process behind it, followed by city officials to eager for revenue and buying into this Illusion of some Young College Buck and his snake oil theories! No wonder Banks are going Broke and our rates are higher now days, Pipe Dreams and Illusionary Develpoers ! Good Luck !

[mc_trump]

Also if golf courses take up that much water close them to

By adding that much water to the open air in that climate, there is a good possibility it could raise the humidity, and in turn it could cause more rain storms, since there is more moisture in the air. You never know, it could help the drought stricken area.

[danstoned]

BTW: responsible communities with golf courses use grey water, treated effluent from the sewage treatment plant (your flushed toilet for those that get their news from FOX and have no clue) that otherwise gets dumped back into the ground.

[marcodele]

In five years it will be a giant cement hole.

[hockeymanvt]

If they want water for their project I think they should use the effluent from their sewage treatment plant. Reclaim all the water purified from evaporation and surf in what is left.

JetRanger7, first of all, 39 isn''t just out of college. Unless it took you that long to finish college right out of high school. Second, not sure where you''re paying your rates to and to which bank, but my interest rates have fallen. And third, why is it these days, since you are using young college buck, why can''t people distinguish the difference between you''re and your. It just shows you aren''t as perfect as you thought you were with a lame statement like that.

[dyalme]

What part of "DESERT" does this stupid,greedy,Developerperson NOT UNDERSTAND? There is a WATER SHORTAGE in most of the USA. IF you want "water sports" for your children and greedy 1%incomers then live near the WATER! What a STUPID IDEA that right I forgot DEVELOPERS don''t have any brains just GREED.Rape the land to what YOU want it to be,not what Arizona Desert is!

[jetranger7]

Hey-WESTERN Residents, We had a Hot-Shot, Fast Talking Developer back here in the midwest, once who came up with a Water Themed park, HeSpent Million,Millions building it, Went to City Officials and at the City Council Meeting told them what they wanted to hear,Everythings Just Glorious-Right !! This place had water slides, Wave Pools, Rain makers, whatever, He told City Officials too "EXPECTED REVENUE", other words "Fantasy Revenue" or "Dream Revenue", well after 6-Months in business after the Illusionary Water Theme Park was Built, guess what-It closed down, and went Bankrupt! Why? because of the cost of going to it ,it was Expensive and few could afford it, 2nd- we had a drought back here and had to cut water to that theme park, meant lost of business, then the winter set in for 5 months so no business there either till summer,, well da ! Ready for the Best Part of this Fiasco- where was the Illusionary Developer from ?? "Arizona" I Kid you not, they claimed they operated several water parks down there and thru out the country,that place that went under here sat for 3 Years Vacant, before someone else got it and BullDozed it, now a Home Depot sits on it ! I think I might try this Scheme, anybody here want to Invest in a Water Park in Antartica, get a hold of me contact me have wads of Cash in your hand too- Thank-You !

[erichsh]

"It is tough to determine how long communities can sustain their rate of water consumption, given that global warming may make the desert even drier." No, it is NOT a given - that''s the author''s OPINION - and even to the extent it''s true, the possible regional consequences should not be assumed. Nevertheless, I agree that this project spectacularly flies in the face of common sense that water needs to be conserved in a desert environment, not flagrantly wasted for a totally unnecessary endeavor.

[harp1963]

Just what we need when America is experiencing a huge drought. Only in America. As long as the owner can bribe enough politicians to authorize it, that''s all that matters.

[kaviz]

I hope they toss a few sharks in there to give the tourists a true ocean experience.

[guruknows]

watch a worker falling in the hole during this ocean construction.. caught on tape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjQpFAGUrQ

[psk123-2009]

This is probably the most ridiculous use of the precious and limited water resource that I have ever heard of. These people live in the desert. Desert = very limited water supply. What are they thinking?

The climate is changing, water is becoming shorter in supply, and the populations are expanding. So what happens when the water runs out? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Eventually, instead of fighting over natural resources like oil, we will be fighting wars over clean water.

[dogband]

Scum of the earth, greedy money sucking investing ***. I would not walk across the street to save their lives. No wonder the world thinks we are just money hungry *** ...... hell we are.

[missingamerica]

In five years it will be a giant cement hole.

Posted by marcodele at 10:19 AM : Nov 20, 2007

On the bright side, it should catch a lot of rain water once its empty...assuming it rains.

[slim1h2o]

Just when I thought, people couldn''t get any dumber...........now this.

[standlee5]

Wait a minute, weren''t the southwest states just whining to the federal govt. to get water from the northern states. So this is what they''re going to do with the water. shouldn''t we be conserving water not wasting it. If desert rats want to go to the ocean let them get in their SUVs and drive there.

[jetranger7]

Well Mr.Mitch whos so Worried about being Correct and Punctual,I might have more Respect for those coming out of College or these "Over-glorified Universities", if they actually learned something instead of having Beer Parties at Daytona Beach and jumping off Hotel Balconies into pools to their death.Secondly, I''d really have more respect, for many of these Higher Education Morans if things in this Country weren''t in such a mess right now, These "Over-Glorified" CEOs & so Called Managers with their supposed Bachelors Degrees in everything under the sun, can''t seem to be able to run anything effectively like our forefathers did and do it right and be honest about it, hince the Savings loan scandal, the current mortage crisis, the Big Dig Tunnel, the shape our government is in most of them have a higher education, these CEOs who are bilking these Corportations dry and the stock holders too,and the hell with the employees! Maybe a little studying on Developer "Dell-Webb" who built Sun City Arizona back in the 40s and 50s -60s, and helped develope some of Las Vegas as well, maybe study these guys who didn''t have much of an education, just good common sense a hard worth ethic along with Ethical standards to themselves and the communities they served might be an example to follow for the younger generation these days, instead of their fancy Mercedes and their 10,000 sq-ft dream home their living they can''t afford unless their fraudulently taking advantage of somebody or a group of people !

[standlee5]

So who owns these "companies" that are doing these crazy things with no regulation.