The Washington County Commission unanimously approved an agreement to partner with Zion National Park on funding and constructing new sewer infrastructure in the park on Tuesday, Mar. 18. This measure was the first phase of the Zion Canyon Sewer Line Extension Project.
“This has been in the works for a few years now,” said Deputy Washington County Attorney Devin Snow, adding that the ongoing “deferred maintenance crisis” has impacted the park service for many years.
The current septic system at the Grotto picnic and trailhead area in Zion National Park was installed in the late 1990s and is now failing. Instead of immediately overhauling it, it has been added to the longstanding list of postponed repairs in the park.
Maintenance and upgrades needed in National Parks are often deferred due to budget constraints, staffing shortages, or prioritization of more urgent needs. Unfortunately, this trend has led to a deterioration of the current infrastructure at many National Park Service locations nationwide.
As of 2022, the national deferred maintenance backlog was estimated at $22 billion. Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park’s superintendent, said at the Mar. 18 County Commission meeting that Zion’s backlog was around $79 million.
This new agreement with Washington County is essential in alleviating Zion’s deferred maintenance situation. It will allow county officials to contract with a third party to create a 5,000-foot pipeline extension from the sewage line at Zion Lodge to the Grotto area.
The first phase of this project will cost approximately $3 million, which is part of an overall $18 million that the Washington County Commission successfully lobbied from the Utah Legislature in recent years to aid with infrastructure needs and crowd movement related to the park, Snow said. For example, in 2023, the Legislature allocated $10 million to improve transportation infrastructure leading into the park.
Commissioner Victor Iverson noted that much of the park’s infrastructure was built in the 1930s, which is out of keeping with the fact that Zion’s visitation has become one of the nation’s top five visited national parks, attracting between 4.6 million and 5 million visitors since 2021.
“It’s time to give (the park) a little love and attention and make sure that we have flush toilets up in the canyon and bring it into the modern age,” Iverson said.
As the “University of the Parks,” Southern Utah University tends to attract students who value Cedar City’s proximity to National Parks like Zion. These new upgrades in the park’s infrastructure may make it easier for visitors like SUU students to enjoy Zion’s recreational opportunities.
Author: Emily Walters
Photographer: Epic Mat
Editor: Chevy Blackburn
outdoors@suunews.net
