Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- City leaders in St. George saved a dinosaur fossil site from development.
- The site, rich in fossils, was initially set for a power substation.
- Officials agreed to relocate the substation, allowing continued excavation efforts.
ST. GEORGE — You could say this story began about 200 million years ago. But things really got going in March.
That's when scientists and volunteers rushed to excavate a fossil-rich quarry at the Dinosaur Discovery Site in St. George before it was scheduled to be turned into a power substation.
"The discoveries have been crazy," said Jim Kirkland, the state paleontologist for Utah.
The fossil site, which is known as one of the most significant of its kind in North America, has yielded impressive finds in just a couple of months.
"Seventy fossil fish. They've got dinosaur bones. Probably 20 to 30 dinosaur teeth of various sorts," Kirkland said.
With the city of St. George growing rapidly, a new electric substation was planned for the quarry location.
City officials gave scientists until the end of April to excavate what they could before construction began.
Thousands of volunteers from across the country and even around the world came to dig, sort, and document fossils and bones.
"It's a major site anywhere in the world, really," Kirkland said. "Just because it tells the story of the recovery from this global mass extinction."
But just days before the deadline, the theoretical meteor was stopped.
"We met last week, and we determined if we move the site just a little bit, then it would be able to allow them to continue to be able to work on this site," said David Cordero, who is the communications director for St. George.
The decision came after meetings between city officials and museum leaders who shared the scientific value of what was being uncovered.
City leaders agreed to move the substation's location just enough to spare the fossil site.
"I think everyone is walking away from this very happy," Cordero said.
While excavation at the quarry has paused for the summer, paleontologists plan to return in the fall when temperatures cool to continue digging and analyzing.
"Utah is the history of life," Kirkland said. "And it's real exciting. I've got the best job in the world."
In a way, these dinosaurs at this site won't become extinct again.
