One Man's Blog

Specialization is for Insects.

Home / News / Dumbest Idea Ever? Massive Water Park in Arizona Desert

Dumbest Idea Ever? Massive Water Park in Arizona Desert

John P.

By

WaveyardWaveYard is the name of a new water based community / playland which, of course, is to be located… in the desert.

Yep. Some geniuses were sitting around, possibly enjoying some hashish, when one said something like “Hey dude. I’ve got an idea… Let’s build the biggest water mega-park the world has ever seen! Oh, and we’ll do it in the desert!”

If constructed, the park would use as much as 100 million gallons of groundwater a year.

Here is their description:

Get ready for Waveyard, the first adventure super-park and adrenaline cocktail that will deliver the adventure sports lifestyle on a scale you never dreamed possible. Step out of rush hour into the ultimate rush, Waveyard will open new chapter on family entertainment and residential living. It will be a place to belong while fueling your passions.

Through a series of break-through technologies, we will unveil a diverse range of life-enhancing experiences including surfing, white water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, standing wave surfing, wakeboarding, boogie boarding, climbing, canyoneering, zip lines, an action river, board sports training, a massive sand beach, concerts, world class competitions, volleyball, an indoor water park, special events, and much, much more.

Waveyard will also be home to a resort hotel, resort villas, a conference center, a spa and wellness center, an amphitheater, numerous restaurants, a surf shop and paddle sports store, entertainment retail, office space, and several unique residential opportunities.

The Associated Press had the following to say:

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 to 100 million gallons per year, enough to support about 1,200 people in the Phoenix area.

Project organizers say they won’t 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.

Ummm, am I crazy, or will this FAIL?

Thanks to Troy at Layered Tech for pointing this out to me.

Comments

  1. AZ has so much water that we don’t use, we are not in a drought. Do some research before you shoot down a fun idea for kids to enjoy the summer heat. If you live in AZ you should know there isnt much for kids to do for the 4 months of the year where its 110 degrees outside.

  2. Does anyone care that to bild this new waterpark they are tearing down Big Surf the FIRST WATER PARK IN AMERICA! If they are going to tear down one of the water parks it should be Water World. And with the fact that “If constructed, the park would use as much as 100 million gallons of groundwater a year.” That is rediculous! We are going to be in a big drout soon and thanks to wat just because some one sat at home and was like “oh bigsurf has been here for so long that people are getting bored of it. Lets bild a new water park that will put arizona in a drout! What diffrents does it make to me?” People that live here my be getting bored of it but it is one of arizonas greatest places to hang! Take it from some one who works there! this is a stupid idea and im sure a lot of people would agree with me!

  3. This is no doubt a mega project and will survive technology and resources can be build if you have strong will.

  4. I live here in AZ and I say it’s about time. Where else can you have a water park and use it 7mos out of the year? Plus, Google map the greater Phoenix area, all that green, it’s golf courses. And yeah, it does take water to keep grass green in the desert. They are talking about filling Tempe town lake with reclaimed waste water (after treating) why not use this method?

  7. John, it actually boggles my mind, considering how many golf courses there are worldwide.

    For those that work in metric that’s 246 million litres a year.

  8. Just came back from my waterpark, some millions of fish, corals, crabs… and mermaids. seems like somebody does not know what to do with his money

  10. True, I would rather visit a waterpark away from the ocean, we got 50 km. to the nearest ocean here, and that is kind of nasty to swim in, so the waterpark here is quite popular…

    Kim:)

  12. Lisa Marie Mary, I did a bit of googling and found this quote:

    “We’re asking for 65 million gallons a year, but so is every other course, public and private,” Kitchen said.

    But DEP spokeswoman Karen Hershey said the commission submitted an incomplete application in June to take 73 million gallons a year. Since then, “there’s been a lot of back and forth” with the county, she said.

    It appears that it is in fact possible for a golf course to use so much water! I guess it’s because with a golf course you are literally putting the water back in the ground where it is lost.

    Cheers

  15. Wow, this is incredible. A local school stopped people from having water fights because it was a waste of water. If a school can get its morals right then I can’t seem to understand why these people can’t. It is a complete waste of water and really is taking the **** out of those who are living in countries where they must walk miles to get water which, even then, is barely clean enough to drink.

    Reading the previous comments it appears that this plan is likely to fail anyway so good luck to the people trying to push for it!!!!

    John

  17. The Waveyard was pretty contoversial when it was first proposed and voted on a couple of years ago. I agree that it is probably a waste of water, although it looks like it isn’t being taken out of the Colorado or any other potable water supplies.

    I have lived in Arizona for four years now and can testify that living in a desert does strange things to you with regards to your attitudes about water. Any rain that falls is a cause for celebration. A river full of running water becomes a novelty. The thought of having that much water around is attractive because it provides an opportunity to easily escape the arid landscape for some time.

  18. Wet ‘n Wild in Vegas closed down, There might be another waterpark close by I haven’t really looked.

    This is a bad idea because like Vegas, there is a very real water shortage. Lake Meade is way down, people and even hotels are being told to get rid of their grass and put in a desert landscape. You can only water what plants you do have during certain times of the day and even on certain days depending on your address.

    I’m pretty sure the ban on new pools is still in effect.

    It is a desert, the Colorado river has a limited supply and it’s being shared by a growing number of growing communities. Las Vegas has been on the hunt for new water supplies outside of the river.

  19. I think this is going to be quite a contrast. At the end of the day they do some crazy things in Dubai with their desert. Why not do the same in US? :D

  20. What were they thinking with Los Vegas and look how successful it is, I agree with Philip above. Keep us posted John.

    And yes what is that “You’re being watched” about.

  22. I think it would be dumber to have it right by the ocean. I just don’t understand why this is so bad? If your in the desert, your probably hot and thirsty. A water park makes tons of sense in the desert.

    P.S. Why is there a evil little smile next to the “add comment” button saying I’m being watched?

  23. It’s a strange old World when we can waste 100 miilion gallons of water a year, whilst communities elsewhere have to walk 10 miles a day just to get enough to drink.