Is Nevada pressing Utah for a water accord?

Besides sensitive species that have to be protected, Clayton said, the division is concerned about ranchers' water rights. The rights "need to be protected, and that's why we're tabulating those and making a record of those," he said.

Division experts are checking records about water rights. They are also "doing some physical checking of the lands, to remove some of the ambiguities," he said.

Asked if the state needs to make sure development does not damage ranchers' rights to underground water, he replied simply, "Yes."

A proposal to "mine this much water from the aquifer in that area" should have the closest scrutiny and most careful study, said Lawson LeGate, a Sierra Club official in Salt Lake City

"The potential for impacts on the human and physical environment are such that we should not rush to judgement," he said.

Meanwhile, the draft of a U.S. Geological Survey study about the water resources of the area, including Snake Valley and areas farther to the west in Nevada, is to be published in about a year.

Styler said Reid is interested in signing an agreement, "and we are, too."

The first part of the agreement will quantify "who's water is whose and how it's being used," Styler said.

Other issues will be tackled later, such as how much water is left after the needs are met.

"We've got staff out in the field taking that snapshot picture and verifying that the water's there," he said.

Besides agriculture and grazing interests, wildlife experts are involved in the project. People are "looking at the seeps and the springs for sensitive species, and quantifying and getting a tabulation of all those things as well," Styler said.

Some Nevada residents have suggested that instead of the groundwater pipeline, the state should focus on obtaining more water from the Colorado River system. But the Colorado is already fully apportioned.

"Of course, they're not going to get any more water out of the Colorado River," Styler said. "Utah and five other states would not allow that."

Therefore, Utah is supporting Nevada's efforts to develop its own water, he said.

"Where we will be drawing the line (is) don't infringe on the water that naturally flows to Utah," Styler said.

Leverage that Reid has on the issue involves the Washington County Lands Bill pending before Congress. Some Utah officials would like Reid's help with that bill.

Garland said he noticed a Utah official checking flows from a spring. But he is concerned the study may be rushed.

"The alarming thing about this is, what can they really find out in such a short period of time?" he asked.

Recent increases in water use by ranchers and residents have undercut earlier studies, he said. Water resources are being stressed, he said.

How can anyone say there's excess water, Garland added, in "one of the driest valleys in the Southwest, the driest region of the country? . . . It doesn't really make sense."

Davis said the Southern Nevada Water Authority would like to see an agreement reached between the two states "because we want the issues resolved."

However, Davis added, "there isn't any kind of hard-target deadline, because the water-right hearing on Snake Valley hasn't even been scheduled yet."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com