On March 28, 2023, Salt Lake City officials announced that the Seven Canyments Fountain in Liberty Park will be reimagined as a dry art feature. The decision follows feasibility studies conducted by the city to determine options for the landmark, which has remained closed since 2017 due to maintenance issues and concerns stemming from a Salt Lake County Health Department inspection report.
Studies regarding the restoration of the fountain found that returning it to a full-flow water feature could cost between $2 million and $4 million and would require the use of 21,000 gallons of water per day.
The new design will utilize specialty concrete finishes to modify and enhance the fountain, showing streams and landscape elements that serve as symbols for the different canyons and water streams they represent. Potential improvements to the site may include enhancements to lighting and landscaping, handrails, and the replacement of grass turf.
The project is currently in the stage of securing designers and artists. The original structure, which was donated to Salt Lake City residents in 1993 as a legacy gift from O.C. Tanner, was designed to recreate the city's canyons, mountains, and waterways.
According to the project description, the fountain's design by architects and sculptor John Swain, Boyd Blackner, Elizabeth Blackner, and Stephen Goldsmith intended for people to walk through representations of City Creek, Red Butte, Emigration, Parleys, East Mill Creek, and Big and Little Cottonwood canyons.
Artists Stephen Goldsmith and Liz Blackner expressed a sense of responsibility regarding the transition strategy for the site. They stated that they hope the design allows for a future where the fountain might flow again.
The Seven Canyons Fountain is located at 600 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105.
