It’s like Dubai.”Ĭalifornia is going through a relentless drought, worsened by climate change, and its nearly 40 million residents have faced repeated calls in recent years to conserve water. “Is that their best use of the limited water resources in these climate-driven drought times, is golf courses and surf spots?” said Conner Everts, executive director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance. They contend water in the massive surf pools will evaporate quickly in the desert heat, wasting a precious resource, while proponents argue the waves will boost tourism, ramp up recreation and use less water than ever-popular golf courses. Hours from the California coast, surfers are hoping one of the next spots where they can catch a wave is in the desert.Īt least four large surf lagoons are proposed for the region around Palm Springs, which is more commonly known for art festivals, mountain hikes and golf, and has no natural waves in sight.īut some environmentalists and residents say it isn’t water-wise to build large resorts in one of the driest spots in California during one of its driest periods in recent memory. (CCY Architects/REM Public Relations via AP) A rendering of a proposed Coral Mountain Resort with a large human-made surf lagoons that is proposed for the region around Palm Springs, Calif.
