SALT LAKE CITY — After sitting dry for six years, one of the centerpieces of Liberty Park in Salt Lake City will be getting new life.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Tuesday that Seven Canyons Fountain will be reimagined as a dry art feature. The announcement comes after a feasibility study to determine what to do with the fountain that sits in the middle of the park.
The popular fountain recreating the city's canyons, waterways and mountains was built in 1993 and featured running water throughout. However, the water features were turned off in 2017 due to maintenance issues and "concerns that arose from a Salt Lake County Health Department inspection report," the city said.
Mendenhall's office said that the feasibility study found that returning flowing water to the fountain would cost up to $4 million and require 21,000 gallons of water each day.
The "reimagining" will modify the fountain to enhance its streams and landscape elements, which may include new landscaping and lighting, along with turf replacement and handrails.
“Seven Canyons Fountain has been an iconic fixture for many residents in Salt Lake City for three decades. While I’m sad it is not feasible to restore it, I’m pleased we’ll be able to preserve it for future generations in an updated form,” said Mendenhall.
The fountain was designed by Boyd Blackner, Elizabeth Blackner, Stephen Goldsmith, and John Swain, and features City Creek, Red Butte, Emigration, Parleys, East Mill Creek, and Big and Little Cottonwood.
