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Local residents and the La Quinta City Council oppose the proposed surf park and wave pool. The project would be a zoning change and allow the developers to build a resort and wave pool in the community. The development has been a controversial topic for nearly two years. Residents had raised concerns about traffic, noise, lighting, and water.

Residents have raised $66,000 to fight the project.

The project's opponents are organized and vocal. Mostly, they don't accept the findings of the city's staff and final environmental review. Instead, they want city officials to disregard science and act like activists. In addition, they've used social media to spread misinformation about the project.

The proposed development would have included a 17-acre wave pool and 150 hotel rooms, and 600 short-term vacation rentals. The proposal had prompted heated debate and opposition from La Quinta residents and local business owners. And if it had been approved, the project would cost at least $100 million and take up 400 acres of undeveloped land in the La Quinta area.

The surf park would have been an artificial paradise with 18 million gallons of water and the world's largest wave facility. However, the developer has said the project would use only allowed water and have minimal neighborhood impact. In addition, the proposal's developer, Meriwether Companies, says the project uses water responsibly and would not impact the environment.

The project developer said the wave pool would have consumed less than one million gallons of water daily. The project's total water consumption had been approved by the Coachella Valley Water District, which regulates water use in significant developments with 500 or more units. The water would be sourced from a shallow private well that pumps non-potable water. This non-potable water would be treated and filtered before being used for the wave pool.

Groundwater is imported from the shrinking Colorado River, and the idea has drawn criticism because of the proposed water use during the current drought.