The Voice of Eldorado and Schleicher County Since 1901

This aerial overview of a portion of the YFZ Ranch shows the position of several new buildings in relation to the three original dormitory-style buildings. Also visible is a large gantry crane and stone cutting area and the foundation where many FLDS-wathchers believe that Prophet Warren Jeffs intends to build the group's first-ever temple. By no means does the photo show all the buildings on the ranch. Nor does it show the rock quarry, concrete batch plant, rock crushing plant or barns and shed that have been built in less than a year.

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TCEQ not ready to act on violations at YFZ Ranch

Wastewater plant permit clears first hurdle

DECEMBER. 16, 2004
Officials with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality say that the investigation into environmental violations at the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado is still moving forward, but the state agency is not yet prepared levy a fine or other penalties against the ranch's owner, YFZ Land L.L.C.

In October of 2003, a Utah man named David Allred formed YFZ Land, L.L.C. and began using the company to acquire property in Schleicher County. Eventually 1,691 acres were bought some four miles north-northeast of Eldorado and construction soon began on a series of three-story log cabins. Allred's claim that the land was intended as a hunting retreat where he could entertain his business clients didn't hold up under scrutiny and by mid-March of this year it was discovered that the man had fronted the purchase of the land for a reclusive sect of fundamentalist Mormons and that the group's prophet, Warren Jeffs was intent on building a new community on the property.

By early summer, a number of environmental concerns came to light and TCEQ inspectors began visiting the property. Shortly thereafter the ranch was cited for 29 environmental violations ranging from the operation of an unlicensed bulk cement plant and the dumping of sewer water on ranch roads for dust control to the improper storage and disposal of used motor oil and filters. The ranch was also ticketed for operating an unlicensed public water supply system.

Since that time, the violations have been reviewed by the TCEQ Enforcement Division, which is reportedly ready to send its recommendations to the agency's lawyers.

TCEQ attorney Wendy Cooper told The Success on Tuesday that she is still awaiting documentation from the Enforcement Division to reach her Ft. Worth office. She said that once all the paperwork is complete a decision will be made on how to proceed. She noted that a negotiated settlement is a possibility, but wouldn't rule out that if YFZ officials don't agree to the agency's terms that a court order might be sought. Cooper said that the final determination will eventually be made public, but said it could still be weeks, even months down the road.

A river runs through it
An application for a permit to build a sewage treatment plant on the YFZ Ranch cleared its first major hurdle earlier this month when TCEQ officials in Austin said the application was "administratively complete." An agency spokesman defined the term to mean that "all the holes have been filled in on the application, things like taxpayer I.D. number and things like that." He said that missing documentation has been provided and that the application will now move on to the technical review process where agency engineers will check to see if the wastewater plant is designed to handle and effectively treat the amount of wastewater that YFZ officials say the ranch will produce.

The Success has learned that YFZ intends to build the sewage treatment plant on the north side of its property near where a rock crusher currently stands. While the permit application originally called for treated water discharged from the plant to be used for irrigation, plans have changed and the application now calls for treated effluent to be pumped uphill to the south end of the ranch where it will be discharged near the entry gate into Milligan Draw. From there, the water will flow down the draw, effectively creating a creek that will run to the northwest through the property.

This large gantry crane supports a series of rock saws that are converting native limestone into stone blocks at the YFZ Ranch. The crane and rock saw assembly stands just south and east of a large foundation where FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs is rumored to be building the group’s first-ever temple. For a sense of just how large the machineryis, note the workers standing beneath the apparatus in the lower part of the photograph near a huge saw blade.

Chiseled in stone
Work continues on the construction of a large gantry crane over a stone cutting area at the YFZ Ranch. The crane stands just south and east of a large foundation where church observers believe the prophet Warren Jeffs intends to build the first-ever FLDS temple. Located beneath the massive crane assembly are a series of rock saws where native limestone is being cut into blocks.

Meanwhile, a combination of explosives and huge tractor driven rock saws are prying loose tons of limestone from the quarry on the west side of the ranch.

One recently excommunicated member of the FLDS church told the Success that if the stone blocks are indeed used to build a temple, it will signal a major shift in church teaching.

"I'm not exactly sure what it means," private investigator Sam Brower told The Success. "But if Warren is building a temple then he's probably turned his back on Short Creek (Colorado City, AZ/Hildale, UT). And if Warren is turned his back on Short Creek then he's probably planning to bring his most faithful followers with him to Eldorado."

If Brower is correct and a large number of Jeffs' followers do converge on the YFZ Ranch, they will find a number of newly completed buildings awaiting them, including several residential buildings and a large meeting hall. Recent aerial photos of the meeting hall reveal the installation of new awnings over its entryways. Also, cubbyhole-like structures near the meeting hall's doors appear to hold a number of shoes, leading some observers to speculate that the building is already serving as a school for a number of children.

Nearby, a new addition is being built on to a newly completed storehouse or commissary, more that doubling the size of that structure. A freshly poured concrete slab stands near several mobile homes and another foundation, resembling those on the nine already completed residential buildings, stands ready to support yet another building.

Two of the three original dormitory-style buildings can be seen in the upper part of the photo above, just east of where an addition is being built on a recently completed building at the YFZ Ranch. The building is believed to be used as a storehouse or commissary.

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