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| Photos by Josh Warburton |
Written by Marcos Camargo
On Wednesday, May 20, at 9 a.m, the Washington County Water Conservancy District will host the opening ceremony of the newly completed Red Hills Desert Garden. The event will be held on the garden grounds at 375 N Red Hills Parkway, St. George.
The WCWCD issued a press release stating that the project has been a collaborative effort between the Washington County Water Conservancy District, the City of St. George, the Virgin River Resource Management and Recovery Program, and Washington County on the behalf of the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan.
The nearly $3 million project began in 2008 as an initiative “to provide a demonstration of water-wise landscaping using native and low water use plants.” The WCWCD originally stated that they anticipated having information available on site in support of this effort.
The Red Hills Desert Garden’s largest feature is an artificial stream bed running with Virgin River water supplied by the nearby Skyline Pond. The river will be stocked with native fish, including some endangered species, in an effort to complement and enhance the Garden and provide a singular opportunity to improve appreciation of endangered fish.
The gardens will also be situated adjacent to an educational center run by the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan, which has stated they plan to take advantage of the both highly visible and visited location immediately adjacent to the tortoise reserve.
The Independent will be on location at the opening and will provide follow-up coverage.
Correction: An earlier version of this article listed the estimated cost at nearly $1 million.
