Fact mine-017
newrecordconfirmed Water at the Wellington site: the basin is fully appropriated; Valar must buy existing rights; the trust committed none
The memorandum says the parcel is in Utah Water Rights Area 91, where surface and ground water are considered fully appropriated except for tiny domestic, one-acre irrigation and ten-head livestock uses. Valar would have to acquire existing water rights and file a change application with the Division of Water Rights, which is advertised and open to protest. It says the helium-cooled reactors need no cooling water, while overall water needs will be set as the facility is designed. Staff told the board the trust has committed no water to the project.
In plain termsThere is no spare water in this basin. Any water the campus uses has to be bought from someone who already holds it, and moving it to a new use must be published so neighbours can object. The reactors themselves are cooled by helium gas in a closed loop, not water, but factories, fuel making and data centers on the site may still need water.
- 8.20.2026 TLA Board Packet (Discussion Item 9A: SULA 2095 OBA, Board Meeting Discussion Memorandum) (Utah Trust Lands Administration (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026-08-20) primary government “considered to be fully appropriated”
- 2026-08-20 TLA Board of Trustees Meeting Audio Transcript (auto-generated) (Utah Trust Lands Administration (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026-08-20) primary government
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