Where I Stand — Columnist Mike O’Callaghan: Don’t rush to destroy

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004 | 5:49 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

WEEKEND EDITION

Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

Oops! Here they go again. The severe drought has Las Vegas builders and other water users and suppliers wanting to reach into northern counties to replace dwindling supplies. This isn't a new idea but has, until now, been put on the back burner. Big bucks and the drought have dragged it out of hiding again. Of course, it hasn't been very well hidden in recent years as a private company designed to sell water and a legislative lobbyist have joined the Southern Nevada Water Authority in buying and selling water.

Any large amount of water pumped from beneath the ground can have a devastating effect on the natural environment in a dry state like Nevada. We almost destroyed the Las Vegas Valley during the 1950s and early 1960s before the state identified the irreparable damage being done. The valley sunk several feet as the water was pumped from it. Local artesian wells dried up and pumps were left standing in the air as the ground sunk deeper and deeper. The first pipeline taking water from Lake Mead helped save the valley and allowed for more growth. We must remember this lesson before deciding to build a pipeline and water collection system that costs billions of dollars and reaches all the way into White Pine County.

Fourteen years ago I expressed my concern about destroying the natural environment in neighboring counties to satisfy the added development of an ever-expanding man-made environment of Las Vegas. My critics told me that some of the ranchers and land owners wanted to sell their water to Clark County. So one rancher could sell his water, which when taken from the ground, would include the water of his neighbor and the small ponds down the road. Today these same critics could possibly point to depressed Lincoln County and the money the water company could provide its government. Are these some of the same people who want nuke waste to be dumped on the Silver State for the paltry few dollars from which they could profit?

In 1990 this column asked:

"As a resident of Clark County, our numerous golf courses, large parks and abundant lake projects have become for me a way of life. But do we need even more at the expense of Nevadans who have lived a hardy life working the soil for several generations? We shouldn't allow our greed for more to destroy the families who are descendants of men and women who made this a great state. People who have carved out a living in this dry climate deserve better treatment.

"I doubt very much if a majority of today's residents of Las Vegas and Clark County want to siphon away the water needed by others. There's nothing wrong with seeking additional water from surrounding areas. But this should be done judiciously and in cooperation with the residents of those rural areas. ..."

Have you ever taken a weekend and driven up through Lincoln and White Pine counties? How about hiking, camping, hunting or fishing along the streams, lakes and reservoirs in the eastern part of the Silver State? What about the survival of the birds and animals that live there because of the water and foliage available?

Any decisions made about drilling for groundwater in Nevada will have an impact on this and future generations. The people making these decisions must realize that they have the lives of both people and the environment in their hands. Wise decisions aren't made for immediate political and monetary gains. We have already had too many such decisions made by political and business leaders in Washington, D.C., Carson City and Las Vegas. Also, there is a wealth of scientific knowledge available to prevent a water decision made out of ignorance. If there is some doubt about the amount of water in an aquifer, or its ability to replenish itself, then don't drill.

State Engineer Hugh Ricci has the final say about the drilling for groundwater. We know that he is under great pressure to move fast and loosely to speed up the drilling process. He must push aside these pressures and make certain that the Nevada he turns over to the next generation reflects the wisdom of a person who thought about their well-being and the future of Nevada.