HURRICANE — It has been more than a decade since visitors have been able to soak in the hot springs located on the Virgin River near the bridge connecting Hurricane and LaVerkin.
On Thursday, St. George News attended a meeting with Hurricane administrators and a representative from the Washington County Water Conservancy District. The group was exploring options for the possibility of reopening the Pah Tempe Hot Springs that many residents remember visiting.
Operations Manager Dave Jessop said the water district’s main concerns at the hot springs are related to the safety of potential visitors.
The towering cliffs surrounding the area present the potential for falling rocks, a flood in 2011 left watermark reminders of how high the Virgin River can rise and features such as handrails and benches have been neglected since public access was closed in 2013.
Currently, the water district is working with The Zion Hot Springs Resort being planned in LaVerkin to pump a portion of the water flowing from the hot springs into their resort. The meeting with Hurricane officials was a field trip to explore options to partner with Hurricane City to provide management of the currently closed Pah Tempe facilities, Jessop said.
“They are looking into some possibilities of what resources they can put into place to make it publicly accessible from a safety and accessibility standpoint,” Jessop told St. George News.
Hurricane Mayor Nanette Billings recalled visiting the springs many times before the closure. She said the now-empty pools where water was once pumped were built and maintained by several local families for decades.
The hopes are that Hurricane City can be the “recreational arm” when considering reopening the springs in a proposed partnership with the county water district.
“It would be recreation for Hurricane City Recreation that would allow people to come and access and enjoy the beautiful Pah Tempe Hot Springs,” Billings said.
Parks Director Tiffani Wright said she was excited at the prospect of adding the resort to current Hurricane city parks.
“A lot of the people who have only lived here 10-15 years have never experienced this,” she said. “It excites me that we could open this back up to our citizens here in Hurricane.”
The Pah Tempe Hot Springs flow naturally with a 107-degree water temperature and dump 110,000 tons of salt into the Virgin River every year, according to the previous owner’s website.
The La Verkin Hot Springs, also known as La Verkin Sulphur Springs, Dixie Hot Springs or Pah Tempe, produces approximately 5,000 gallons of water per minute — more than 7 million gallons daily, according to the Washington County Water Conservancy District website.
“The district plans to institute a collaborative public process involving the local governments who might have an interest in recreational management,” the website states. “A timeline for the reopening of the springs has not currently been established.”
Jessop noted the current water temperature of the springs is 104 degrees, there is already septic and power on the property, and only 30% of the water from the source of the hot springs flows into the current pool area at Pah Tempe.
A locked gate currently prevents public access to Pah Tempe and the site is monitored 24 hours a day using multiple cameras. An onsite property manager currently chases away those who “Google it and trespass,” Jessop said of those who attempt to illegally access the site.
Currently, Utah law allows fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail for a class B misdemeanor conviction of criminal trespass on government property.
According to the Washington County Historical Society, Pah Tempe was a sanctuary for local Native Americans for centuries before the arrival of pioneers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Thomas Judd was the first to record ownership of the Sulphur Springs property,” the society’s website states. “But the springs remained freely available to anyone who wanted to use them. Since there were no bathtubs at that time, many used the place for bathing.”
In 1915, the La Verkin Sanatorium and Resort Company was formed to develop the springs as a resort after purchasing the springs and 170 surrounding acres from Thomas Judd. The original cement swimming pool opened in 1918, the historical society website reports.
The resort has changed ownership several times since then. Prior to becoming the sole owner of the property in 2013, the Washington County Water Conservancy District was a majority owner of the water rights for both the springs and the property, having acquired the title in 1994, according to their website.
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