Editorial: All must share in water plan

Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 | 4:17 a.m.

Anyone still doubting that Southern Nevada needs a drought plan should walk a ways along the Historic Railroad Trail in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area north of Boulder City. The trail offers beautiful views of the lake as well as rock formations that reveal where the water level once stood and where it stands now. Three years of drought have caused a 60-foot drop in the water level, a fact all the more distressing when actually observed. The Southern Nevada Water Authority waited as long as it could before passing its drought plan last week.

The plan emphasizes conservation and enforcement. It affects nearly everyone, from those who want to wash their cars at home and plant new grass in their yards, to small businesses that want an ornamental fountain on their property, and to larger-scale water users, such as those who operate golf courses.

Already the plan has come under stiff criticism. At a hearing Thursday before the plan was passed, many people voiced the opinion that Draconian growth restrictions are vastly preferable to a drought plan. Of course, following that plan would lead to thousands of people losing their jobs and home prices soaring to the point where median-income families would be priced out of the market. And golf course operators pleaded for relief, saying the plan's conservation standards and enforcement penalties aren't feasible for their businesses. We agree with the underlying principle of the plan -- that all who are using water supplied by the SNWA must share the pain.

The SNWA stuck to its plan despite the criticism, but final power to adopt the plan resides with Clark County and the cities. Now we'll see if the local governments are equally as serious about saving water.