Moapa Paiutes near deal to share water

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 8:35 a.m.

The Las Vegas Valley Water District and the Moapa Band of Paiutes are close to an agreement to share ground water on tribal lands 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

The Moapa Paiutes hope to operate a 760-megawatt generating plant fueled by natural gas from the nearby Kern River pipeline. The plant could use up to 7,000 acre-feet of ground water annually, but it would boost the Indian economy by providing 100 jobs or more.

The Paiutes are pitted against the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Nevada Power Co., Moapa Valley Water District and Hidden Valley Ranch, all seeking ground water in Moapa Valley's California Wash.

All claims combined add up to 40,000 acre-feet per year from the California Wash. An acre-foot of water is enough to serve a family of four for a year.

Water District General Manager David Donnelly said details of the agreement could be finalized within weeks.

The Water District would grant the tribe rights to ground water in the California Wash. In turn, the tribe would exchange a specified amount of water in the Muddy River for the district's use.

"We're very close, we think, to a settlement," Donnelly said. Any agreement would have to be approved by the water district's board and the tribe.

Calvin Meyers, tribal chairman, said he could not comment on the proposed agreement.

The Paiutes will have to ask State Engineer Hugh Ricci for permission to use the ground water specified in the agreement.

If the tribe gets permission to use the water, the plant, to be built by Calpine Corp. of San Jose, Calif., could be operating by 2002.

In a preliminary hearing on Moapa water claims earlier this year, Ricci said he doesn't know how much water is under the reservation, but studies are under way to determine the size of the aquifer.