MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE — Frequent statewide drought conditions notwithstanding, residents living on the border between Marriott-Slaterville and Ogden along 1200 West seemingly have no shortage of water. Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of water anyone wants.

The construction of warehouses along the west end of Business Depot Ogden resulted in the alteration of the former military installation’s original drainage system along a 10-block stretch of the road, from 700 South to 400 North.

As a result, standing water has become a roadside fixture in the area dating back to at least 2021, locals say. And mitigation efforts by the Boyer Co., which manages the 1,118-acre property, reportedly have come up short.

“I was going to put up a no fishing sign, or maybe no boating,” joked Kerry Wayne, who lives along the road.

The sizable puddles created by rain and snowstorms — which can remain on the roadside for weeks — are no laughing matter for Wayne and his neighbors, though.

Wayne told the Standard-Examiner that hordes of mosquitoes take up residence in the standing water as winter gives way to spring, and they continue to pose a health risk to residents throughout the warmer months. And while he speaks highly of the job that Weber County does in attempting to control the pests, there are limits to what can be done.

“The mosquito abatement people, they’re wonderful,” Wayne said. “But they have a campaign period; the rest of the time, it’s pure heaven for mosquitoes.”

As reported by the Standard-Examiner in December 2022, Ogden’s then-chief administrative officer, Mark Johnson, communicated to Wayne that steps had been taken to address the issue. Specifically, Boyer dug out six sumps to collect and percolate excess stormwater.

However, Wayne says that little has changed since that declaration was made.

Aaron Austad, director of operations for the BDO, maintains that the drainage system is functioning as intended. He further indicated that Boyer coordinated with city officials on the fill level for the roadside drainage swale.

“The agreement was made with Marriott-Slaterville City and us that we wouldn’t go through and go back down to the swale that was there originally,” Austad told the Standard-Examiner. “We would leave the fill that was in, but we would create these sumps all along the road that would allow for that drainage to occur. And, really, it has been working phenomenally.”

For his part, Marriott-Slaterville City Administrator Bill Morris expressed a strong desire to eliminate standing water — citing a potential flood hazard and water threatening the asphalt — in an email response to Wayne.

Additionally, Wayne told the Standard-Examiner that Ogden mayor Ben Nadolski has been receptive to concerns about the standing water.

For now, though, the water remains.

“There’s no other solution that we’re looking to right now because it’s working exactly the way that those sumps are supposed to work,” Austad said. “We’ve kind of turned it back to Ogden City to say, ‘Hey, if there’s additional things that you want done, then they’ll have to be worked through.’ But really, on our side, we’re saying that things are working exactly the way that they should be.”

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