Two miles from Moab, Utah, a developer is forging ahead on building 580 varied, luxury houses and a business park. But there's problem: the 180-acre site is on a sandbar projecting into the Colorado River, and writer Mary Moran saw this floodplain completely flooded in 1984. In any case, she adds, Moab needs housing for working people, not high-end luxury homes.
Writers on the Range: Town unites to fight a floodplain development
Dave Marston