Desert Water: The Conflict of Water Use in the Salt Lake Valley, A Water Reserach Facility at the Mouth of Red Butte Canyon

Desert Water: The Conflict of Water Use in the Salt Lake Valley, A Water Reserach Facility at the Mouth of Red Butte Canyon - Page 23

I SITE ANALYSIS Address: Corner of Red Butte Canyon Rd. and Medical Drive Site Statement: The site location - just West of Shoreline Trail and adjacent to Red Butte Creek - provides an edge condition allowing a reconnection with water and the more natural environment East of the City. The Red Butte Creek will provide pristine source water for the testing facility. A new green corridor adjacent to the creek will allow a renewed public interaction with the valley's precious water. The new greenhouses planned for the site will also provide a con­trolled space for testing the effects of gray water reuse systems. Challenges are presented by the site which will require extreme care. The adjacency of the site with pristine and protected land poses requirements for sensitivity. Issues with the expanding uses and users of the area will also pose challenges. Despite the challenges, the site's edge condi­tion, its use as a University research area, and its adjacency to untainted water supplies and greenhouses for testing make this a suitable and desirable site.