Official disputes new claims on Coyote Springs water

Friday, Aug. 21, 1998 | 10:47 a.m.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority Board is protesting new claims on water in Coyote Springs.

SNWA General Manager Pat Mulroy will fight seven applications for 10 cubic feet of water per second by Coyote Springs Investment Limited Liability Company. The company filed for more water in the area about 65 miles north of Las Vegas on June 3.

In March the water authority spent $25 million for about 8,000 acre-feet of ground water in Coyote Springs from the same company, owned by Reno developer David Loeb and lobbyist Harvey Whittemore. The company plans to develop a retirement and resort community.

Mulroy told the board Thursday that the Las Vegas Valley Water District had a previous claim for unallocated ground water rights at Coyote Springs since 1989. The demands on the water there are too great for further withdrawals, she said.

In other action, the water authority also will protest a request by Dry Lake Water Limited Liability Company for another 10 cubic feet per second of Coyote Springs ground water.

Mulroy also received permission to buy 1,337 acre-feet of Muddy River water in Moapa Valley for $559,636 for future use in the Las Vegas Valley. The Muddy Valley Irrigation Company has held those rights since 1920. Each acre-foot of the water equals about $2,990.

However, state and federal water officials said unless the seven Colorado River basin states agree to transferring water from the Muddy River to Lake Mead, Las Vegas will never get the water. A law that has operated the river since 1922 does not allow Colorado tributaries for use as separate supplies. Under the law, the Muddy River is part of the Colorado River system.

Mulroy also will negotiate with WCMV, another limited liability company, with rights to Muddy River water. The company did not agree to the terms offered by the irrigation company, according to manager Michael Saltman.