Tusayan - header
Amy S. Martin

Tusayan - map

Header - Current status

Current Status of the Escalade Project

Tusayan - current status (text)

Before developers can break ground, they need permission to pave way for their resort. The land that Stilo Development Group plans to develop is surrounded by national forest lands. Stilo and the town of Tusayan have requested permission from the U.S. Forest Service to build about 5.5 miles of road and utilities across public lands to access the private inholdings. The Forest Service accepted the proposal in September 2020.

The forest supervisor already rejected Stilo's proposal once, in 2016, citing its controversial nature, opposition by local and national communities, and impacts to tribal and national park lands. Once again, the Forest Service needs to put the public interest ahead of private gain.

Join us in urging the U.S. Forest Service to deny the developer's application for road and utility easements ›

Tusayan - CTA 1

Protect the Grand Canyon from a mega-resort
Image
Amy S. Martin

Tusayan - What's at risk

What's at stake?

Plants, animals, and people of the Grand Canyon region. New developments like the one Stilo is proposing threaten to pump more water from an already shrinking supply of groundwater. 

 

Tusayan - aquifers

Where does the water come from?

Wells in Tusayan tap into the Redwall-Muav aquifer, which sits more than 3,000 feet beneath the surface. This aquifer is the primary source for the Grand Canyon's seeps, springs, and streams. Increased pumping would further deplete the already stressed aquifer. The National Park Service has documented long-term declines in flows of springs beneath the canyon's south rim.

Tusayan - hydrogeologic graphic

Where does Tusayan's water come from?

Nature's underground plumbing

It's not just willows, ferns, birds, and bighorn sheep that rely on Grand Canyon waters. The lifeway of the Havasupai people, whose sole source of drinking water comes from the Redwall-Muav aquifer, is also at risk. Current and future pumping of groundwater from the aquifer will cause irreparable harm to the tribe.

Read the Havasupai Tribe's opposition to the Tusayan development ›

Tusayan - How much water

Tusayan - How much water
Blake McCord

How much water are we talking about?

Stilo's latest proposal aims to supply new residential development with water from existing wells that currently support the entire town of Tusayan (population 583). In 2014, Tusayan was pumping 57 million gallons of water per year. The National Park Service estimated that Tusayan's water use could exceed 220 million gallons per year by 2024 if plans for the Stilo development move ahead. 

Tusayan - what can you do

Tusayan - what can you do
National Park Service

What you can do

The Forest Service needs to hear from you. Tell them why you care about the Grand Canyon, and ask them to:

  • Deny road and utility easements for developments that would harm the Grand Canyon for future generations
  • Require a full environmental review to evaluate cumulative impacts of the Stilo development

Comment now

Need more background first? Get the facts ›

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