Construction under way for water conservation education center in West Jordan

WEST JORDAN (Deseret News) — The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District is taking water-wise planting to a grass-roots level — literally.

The district broke ground Tuesday on the WaterSmart Education Center — a $3.5 million, 9,400-square-foot building at the entrance of the Conservation Garden Park, 8215 S. 1300 West. The multi-use facility will act as home base for horticulturists, with classrooms, exhibits and a greenhouse.

"It's interesting in my public service lifetime that issues like conservation jump the tracks and become nonpolitical," said Lt. Gov. Greg Bell. "The vocabulary for conservation now doesn't have any negatives. It's something Republicans and Democrats agree on. Whether we agree as adults or not, our children are already there. … Even we dinosaurs have been able to migrate to these conservation values that really make a difference."

Utah is the second-driest state in the nation and also the second-highest water consumer. Sixty-five percent of Utahns' household water consumption is used outdoors, district officials said.

Utahns live in a high-mountain, arid-desert climate, but "our public has decided on a landscape that's not desert but beautiful landscape," said Richard Bay, the district's general manager.

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