This story is made possible through a partnership between The Salt Lake Tribune and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
Less than a month after filing, a second application to transfer water rights for the planned Stratos data center project in Box Elder County has been withdrawn.
Murray Hollow L.C. filed a brief notice with the Division of Water Rights on May 22 requesting cancellation of its change application. The Holladay-based company has rights to around 11 acre-feet, or enough water to meet the needs of 22 Utah households, in Hansel Valley near the northern tip of the Great Salt Lake.
The notice did not say why Murray Hollow opted to withdraw the application, or indicate whether it plans to refile. The Division of Water Rights published the notice Wednesday along with an acknowledgment and formal cancellation by State Engineer Teresa Wilhelmsen, who oversees the division.
The application received nearly 700 letters of protest from Utahns across the state who expressed concerns about wildlife, drought and the shrinking Great Salt Lake.
The project’s primary backer, TV personality Kevin O’Leary, has denied that his sprawling data complex will harm the environment.
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