State official defends decision to scrap water planner office

Brendan Riley

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000 | 9:25 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Nevada lawmakers differed Monday over a move to scrap the Nevada Division of Water Planning, with some saying it's a bad idea for the nation's driest state.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, demanded that Gov. Kenny Guinn's administration explain the cut, described initially as a cost-cutting move.

"It doesn't seem like a real good way to go," Titus said at a Legislative Commission meeting while discussing the decision by state Conservation Director Mike Turnipseed.

"This sends a wrong message that water planning is not a big priority," Titus added. "I see this as penny-wise and pound-foolish."

The move will save $273,000 a year at most - a tiny fraction of the Conservation and Natural Resources Department's $213 million annual budget.

The savings will come mainly from laying off state Water Planner Naomi Duerr and a top assistant, and by leaving two positions vacant.

Turnipseed, responding to Titus' questions at the Legislative Commission meeting, said water planning will continue in Nevada even though Duerr's division will be gone.

Turnipseed added an advisory board for water planning remains in existence, and he plans to schedule a meeting of that panel soon.

State Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, defended Turnipseed's decision. He and some other rural lawmakers had contended the water planning division was dominated by Las Vegas and Reno interests and was anti-agriculture.

They also attacked a new state water plan crafted by the agency. The plan, which was accepted by the 1999 Legislature, encourages water conservation and certain water importation projects.