Reader comments
Water conservation a safe bet for Vegas

Water and the state resident of Utah and Nevada don't have a chance against a muli-trillion dollar business empire of Las Vegas. Theft of natural resources to add to profits has more power than any government or group of conservationist, especilly when the state government condones these practices.

The concern with current SNWA leadership TRUST.

SNWA General Manager at the Sept 11 hearings: �We have a new ethic to protect environmental resources� and �We have an environmental record beyond reproach�.
Before a newspaper ad campaign in Nevada suggesting the Water Authority is concerned about environmental issues associated with the pipeline project, this from the Nevada State Engineer�s Office: �State Engineer Tracy Taylor, in a 19-page decision, rejected an effort by lawyers for the SNWA to limit consideration of environmental issues in the hearings, scheduled Sept. 11-29 in Carson City. Taylor also rejected a Water Authority motion to exclude consideration of the effects on recreation and "scenic values" the ground water pumping and exportation could have.�
The alternative that would obviate the need for a pipeline, water conservation, is out of reach of Ms. Mulroy's thinking. She is in the pipeline and dam box that rang in another century. We need new thinkers and they will emerge as the water crisis unfolds.

This is an excellent eye opening report that highlights the incredible duplicity of the folks at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The Pacific Institute�s report makes clear that that implementing conservation measures alone would not only save enough water to make the West Desert pumping and piping project unnecessary, but it would also save the hundreds of millions of dollars that the pipeline is going to cost.

Why then does the Southern Nevada Water Authority insist on going forward with this project instead of implementing Dr. Gleick�s recommendations? It�s because the water grab isn�t for Las Vegas. In fact most of the water (More than 75,000 AFY is destined for a location more than 75 miles north of Las Vegas�Coyote Springs, a sprawling new development that will eventually house 250,000 people and featuring 16 championship Jack Nicholas golf courses. In fact the maps accompanying the revised EIS for the project show the pipeline terminating at Coyote Springs. Conservation in Las Vegas will not supply the water needed for this development, a project designed to make worthless desert land priceless by taking water from someplace else� have you ever heard of Owen�s Valley ?

The Southern Nevada Water Authority can not forecast water usage or the rate at which it needs to diversify its water supply without identifying the potential for demand side savings. This does not mean that they should not be looking for potential water sources, but there is no way to identify how much water Nevada needs unless they implement all water savings measures prior to making a forecast. The Southern Nevada Water Authority will most likely continue to forecast and approve heavy water usage by Casino's because it is one of the most "profitable" uses of H2O. If Casino's were rewarded for water savings, then one might see a change in this mentality. The Southern Nevada Water authoriy is walking a thin line, but will not begin to see evidence of their mistakes for a few years.