Commissioner voices concern of metro water grab

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 2:33 a.m.

"As a commissioner, there is no way I can justify ... selling water to get revenue, compared to the economic value of keeping the water here," he told the Nevada Division of Water Planning's Advisory Board on Water Resources Planning and Development.

The question was brought up by Janet Carson of Reno, a board member who is water supervisor for Sierra Pacific Resources' Westpac Utilities. She raised the question after hearing Elko County concerns about placing economic values on water.

"The other way to look at it, is there is a killing to be made ... You're sitting on a huge asset value here," Carson said.

In a break in the daylong meeting, Lesperance said Carson's question was a "test of the waters of a really critical issue." And in a conversation with Carson, he emphasized that water in the Humboldt River is already overallocated, up to twice its normal flow.

"So we're all in the same boat, there is no more water in the Great Basin," Lesperance said.

Carson, however, questioned whether Elko County could get back any of the water that goes into Idaho or down the Humboldt and perhaps sell 10 percent as a source of revenue.

Carson said Sierra Pacific has no plans to go after Elko County's water and called her question during the meeting was "really philosophical."

Lesperance said once any water is let go, it would open a floodgate and the county could lose control. That's why the county wants to insist no private water rights holders sell their water outside the county, he said.

The county doesn't own water rights, so any water would have to be sold by private holders.

State Water Planner Naomi Duerr said after the meeting that Elko County can best protect its water with the county water plan.

The advisory board met in Elko to hear local concerns and discuss preparation of a state water plan, which Duerr said she plans to present to the Nevada Legislature in six months.