Western states water meeting begin in Washington

Benjamin Grove

Friday, July 28, 2000 | 11:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Deputy Secretary of Interior David Hayes said Thursday's meeting with water officials from seven Western states, including two from Las Vegas, allowed the group to begin hammering out a deal to limit California's water intake from the Colorado River and increase water used by fast-growing Arizona and Nevada.

"We are pleased that the Basin states have been working closely with each other and now with us on this important issue," Hayes said.

Hayes said the Interior Department is "committed" to working with the sometimes-feuding states to reduce California's water intake to 4.4 million acre feet of water a year -- the state's legal entitlement. California has been taking more than 5 million acre feet, more than its share. An acre foot of water can sustain a family of four or five for a year.

Under the plan developed by the seven states and presented to the Interior Department for the first time Thursday in a private meeting, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico would allow Nevada, Arizona and California to take surplus water from the river, but California would begin reducing its intake from current levels.

The deal would extend the river's supply to Southern Nevada for 15 years, eight years beyond when Nevada is expected to begin using all of its legal allotment of 300,000 acre feet of water.

Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager Pat Mulroy said the meeting on the slippery issue of water management was a "productive discussion" but established "no formal agreement," according to Vince Alberta, water authority spokesman. Alberta said Mulroy was traveling and could not be reached for comment Thursday. Water authority Deputy Manager David Donnelly also attended the meeting.

The plan is subject to environmental studies. Public comment on the plan will be taken at meetings throughout the Southwest during August. A meeting in Las Vegas is scheduled for Aug. 15.