Editorial: Water pact will aid our region’s future

Thursday, July 5, 2001 | 9:07 a.m.

The Las Vegas Valley, as we know it, would shrivel up and die without water. That is why it was so encouraging this week that an agreement was ratified that will help ensure an adequate water supply to meet our future needs. Under the deal the Southern Nevada Water Authority will pay to store Colorado River water underground in Arizona, ensuring that the valley will have enough water for the next 50 years.

The water stored won't actually be shipped to Nevada. When there's a shortage, Arizona would use the water, while Nevada would take a portion of Arizona's allocation from the Colorado River. Currently Nevada only is allowed 300,000 acre-feet of water a year from the Colorado River, while Arizona receives 2.3 million acre-feet, a situation that required this complicated agreement. While getting more water was crucial for our future, Southern Nevadans still will have to take water conservation seriously if the valley is to keep thriving.

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