$330 million water deal with Arizona approved

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.

The boards of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Nevada's Colorado River Commission today approved a deal to buy 1.25 million acre-feet of water from Arizona over the coming decades.

Water Authority officials said they will use the water as a hedge against long-term drought and to supply Las Vegas' continually growing population. The deal will cost Nevada $330 million, and the Water Authority should begin taking Arizona water from Lake Mead in 2007.

By 2011, the Water Authority could take 40,000 acre-feet a year from Arizona, enough for about 300,000 people. One acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or enough water for 1.5 families to use over the course of a year in Southern Nevada. The agreement would be good until 2060 or until all the credits are used, whichever comes first. If the most aggressive forecast for using the water comes true, Southern Nevada would use up the supply in 35 years.

The Water Authority is the water wholesaler for municipal distributors in Southern Nevada, and took the lead in the negotiations with Arizona. The Colorado River Commission, by state and federal law, is the designated agency that must approve interstate compacts regarding Nevada's use of Colorado River water.

The Water Authority board also today approved a new resource plan that accounts for the additional water from Arizona in the agency's plan to provide Southern Nevada with water in the coming years and decades.

The Arizona Water Banking Authority board unanimously approved the deal last week.

The agreement also includes Nevada's formal backing of Arizona's bid to change the historical division of water rights in the southern basin of the Colorado River. By 1964 congressional fiat, Arizona is third in line of the three lower basin states for water rights to the Colorado River, California holds the senior water rights, followed by Nevada.

All three states are joining the four upper basin states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico for talks this week on how to cut water use if the drought forces a reduction in availability from the river and Lake Mead.

In other water news:

Building developers the Molasky Group said the lease was needed to bring the planned project downtown.