Home / Environment / Desert Oasis: Utah's $25M Surf Paradise Opens
Desert Oasis: Utah's $25M Surf Paradise Opens
25 Nov, 2025
Summary
- A $25 million luxury surf community, Southern Shores, opened east of St. George.
- It features three man-made lakes for surfing, wakeboarding, and waterskiing.
- Concerns arise about water usage in the drought-prone desert region.
A novel luxury surf community, Southern Shores, has emerged in the desert landscape east of St. George, Utah, boasting a $25 million investment to bring aquatic recreation to arid lands. This development features three distinct lakes engineered for various water sports, including a large boat lake for waterskiing and wakeboarding, and a dedicated surf lake.
The project aims to provide an unparalleled entertainment and community experience centered around water activities. While offering a unique lifestyle, the development has ignited a debate concerning its substantial water requirements. Critics highlight the region's severe drought conditions and question the sustainability of such large water-consuming amenities.
Developers assert that water rights were secured from private sources and implemented conservation measures, including lakebed liners and efficient irrigation for adjacent homes. Despite these efforts, conservation groups remain concerned about the overall water usage, emphasizing the fragility of local water resources in the desert environment.
