Graveyard Wash?! No Way! New So. Utah Reservoir Will Need A Better Name
Years ago, long before Washington County had amazing restaurants and incredible recreation spots, it was a simple farming and ranching area with a pioneer heritage and a slow lifestyle.
There were no bright lights and not much in the way of veterinary healthcare. In fact, if you had a sick animal, a cow or sheep or the like, you would send the animal down the hill to a place that became known as "Graveyard Wash."
It was a mostly dry lowland near Santa Clara, just up the road from the Jacob Hamblin House.
Though it sits pretty much in Santa Clara -- only yards from Old Dixie Highway 91/Main Street -- the wash is technically in unincorporated Washington County.
The Graveyard Wash still has plenty of old bones from animals that spent their last days at the site. It's hardly a romantic or even palatable place to be.
But progress rolls forth and Graveyard Wash has been identified as a prime site for a reservoir in these water-thirsty times.
Just one problem -- the name.
Let's face it, no one wants to recreate or swim in (or drink from) a lake called Graveyard Wash Reservoir.
So for the last few days on the Andy Griffin Show, listeners have texted in their choices for a new name. Here are some of the suggestions, although ultimately the name for the new reservoir will be decided either by the St. George City Council or the Washington County Commission.
- Dixie Reservoir or Dixie Spirit Reservoir -- an homage to Southern Utah's Dixie Spirit.
- Washington Reservoir -- Named for our county/the father of our country.
- Randall Reservoir -- Named for our current mayor.
- St. George Reservoir -- Why not?
- Red Rock Reservoir -- A salute to our beautiful landscape.
- Rosenberg Reservoir -- Santa Clara mayor says "Absolutely Not!"
- Santa Clara Reservoir -- It is right by (though not technically in) Santa Clara
- Hamblin Lake -- honoring our heritage.
- Big Rocks Reservoir -- After a local formation
- Hafen Reservoir -- Original owners of the wash
- Griffin Lake -- Someone texted this in -- I'm flattered, but nah.
Those are a few of the suggestions, although if you have a great idea or two of your own, we'd love to hear them -- just text your ideas to 435-467-5842 or email to andrew.griffin@townsquaremedia.com.
Anything's better than "Graveyard Wash Reservoir."
