Drought survives current weather

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 9:03 a.m.

The waves of rain and snow that have moved through the Southwest and the Rocky Mountains since February have done little to improve a three-year drought, water officials heard Thursday.

Kay Brothers, Southern Nevada Water Authority deputy general manager, told the authority board that while every drop is welcome, the situation is still grim -- and dry -- for consumers throughout the Southwest.

Lake Mead, the source of almost all of the Las Vegas area's drinking water, remains more than a third below full capacity. Lake Powell, the upstream reservoir that feeds Lake Mead, is only half full.

Brothers said her agency gets phone calls from consumers who believe the drought is over because of this spring's welcome rain and mountain snow. But not only are the Rocky Mountains, the source of most water in the lakes, still below the precipitation average for this year, they are now in the fourth year of the drought.

It will take more than a few storms to bring the Colorado River and lake system back into some kind of balance, Brothers said.

"It's going to take some time."

A special citizens committee is working on rules that would apply to consumers if a "drought emergency," a third-stage reaction to loss of water from Lake Mead, occurs. Already, the Water Authority is asking regional governments to stiffen penalties for waste and restrict uses for such needs as car washing and new landscaping.