Golf courses oppose drought plan

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Meeting The board of the Southern Nevada Water Authority will meet to discuss the proposed drought plan at 9 a.m. Thursday at the offices of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, 1001 S. Valley View Blvd. The plan passed unanimously last month, but a violation of the state's open meeting law forced the issue to be considered again.

One month ago, the Southern Nevada Water Authority board adopted a plan to deal with more than three years of drought that has partially drained Lake Mead and threatened the region's water supply.

The plan, which asks Clark County and local cities to restrict the use of new turf, would impose financial penalties for excess use of water.

But now, with the board set to address the issue again Thursday, some groups are promising to fight some of the rules contained in the drought plan.

One of the groups lined up against the plan is the Nevada Golf Course Owners Association, whose members are alarmed by the stiff financial penalties that would apply to golf courses that irrigate with more than 5.7 acre-feet of water on an acre per year. Most golf courses now use about 7 acre-feet of water.

The course owners group says the financial penalty could cripple their industry.

"In the worst case, we're going to see golf courses go out of business," said Stan Spraul, general manager of the Southern Highlands Golf Club. "It's going to impact tourism, the entire Las Vegas economy."

Spraul said industry officials believe three in 10 visitors to Las Vegas spend time on local links -- a $300 million infusion into the local economy. The golf course industry -- representing about four dozen local courses -- wants to help out in the drought, but needs more time and would like more money from water agencies, he said.

"We think it's a stretch for the golf course at 7 acre-feet," Spraul said. "At 5.7, something is going to break."

And some of the region's signature golf courses, despite the industry's commitment to help, may not be able to significantly reduce their use of water because they were designed to use the higher water volumes, Spraul said.

There are others that have concerns with the drought plan. Members of the Nevada Seniors Coalition, a group that has vehemently criticized the water authority in the past, are arguing that the water authority and elected leadership throughout the region should cut off further residential growth, stabilizing water use at present levels and avoiding further shocks.

Elected officials, among them water authority board chairwoman and Henderson Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers, have insisted emphatically that the drought plan is not about, and should not be about, controlling growth.

Others affected by the plan, among them the golf course owners, take a more narrow approach. The plan may be needed, but should not hit their interests in an extreme way, they argue.

James Endres, an association lobbyist, said it is unfair to ask golf courses to significantly change their way of doing business.

"Golf courses have organized and built their courses here with an understanding of the laws and regulations here," he said. "To change the understanding an application of these rules in a short time courts some economic distress, economic havoc."

Spraul and Endres said the water authority has skipped a step required by state law. The agency must fully consider the economic impact of any new rules before passing them, which the association members say the water authority staff failed to do.

The staff members, however, say they did meet and listen to the concerns of golf course owners and managers when they put the drought plan together. What the golf industry does not realize is that the region is in the midst of a crippling drought, the worst in the recorded history of the Colorado River, said Doug Bennett, water authority conservation manager.

"It is obviously not business as usual."

But the water authority does not want to put golf courses out of business, he said.

"One of the provisions, basic philosophies of the plan, is an attempt to avoid requiring any fatal sacrifices," Bennett said. "We want to get the water savings, but we want to do it through reasonable measures.

"We're asking every sector to do that. I understand that golf must inherently be played on grass. But some golf courses have in excess of 10 acres that are not part of the playing surface."

Bennett said the water authority does not want to impose monetary penalties on the golf courses. "What we want are water savings."

Bennett and water authority general manager Pat Mulroy insist that the plan on the table Thursday is not the final document, with the final rules and penalties contained. Southern Nevada's cities and Clark County will have to set up and enforce the rules and penalties, a process that should be complete by early this summer, they hope.

"This is a draft document," Mulroy said of the drought plan. The enforcement process has begun. The Clark County Commission on Tuesday endorsed the plan and directed staff to begin writing the ordinances it would enforce within its jurisdiction. In the coming days and weeks, the same plan will go to Henderson, North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Boulder City for further action.

Bennett said the water authority has created an interagency task force to coordinate a common approach to the drought rules and penalties.

Clark County Commissioner and water authority board member Rory Reid agreed.

"We certainly don't want to be the ruination of anything, but everyone needs to understand that we are in the middle of a drought and we have to change our behavior," Reid said. "I think the golf course industry is important to our economy, but people we have to work together.

"Golf courses are going to have to change their behavior. I'm going to have to change my behavior. I don't think any golf courses will need to close. What we're talking about is proper planning. If we don't do something now, it is more likely that golf courses are going to close."