Where I Stand — Guest columnist Pat Mulroy: Our precious resource

Friday, Aug. 19, 2005 | 6:11 a.m.

Editor's note: In August the Where I Stand column is turned over to guest writers. Today's columnist is Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

WEEKEND EDITION

August 20-21, 2005

For many years our state's Colorado River water, combined with the Las Vegas Valley's indigenous groundwater supply, has been sufficient to meet our community's needs. Thanks to residents' support of drought response measures, it still is -- at least in the near term.

While the Colorado River will always be a major water supply for Southern Nevada, the drought has punctuated the importance of maintaining a diverse water resource portfolio. Simply stated, when the Colorado River is running dry, water has to be brought in from elsewhere.

Since its inception, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has actively pursued this goal. In the decades to come, exchanges for desalted ocean water will undoubtedly play a major role in our water supply. However, an interstate agreement for desalted water would do nothing to reduce our reliance upon the Colorado River and, therefore, would be virtually useless in a drought.

In 1989 the SNWA took steps toward developing our state's inherent water resources by filing applications for unclaimed, unused groundwater in east-central Nevada. During the past 16 years we have dramatically pared down our applications out of respect for environmental considerations and rural communities. For instance, we entered into an agreement with Lincoln County a few years ago under which we transferred some applications to the county and agreed to share water permitted from other basins.

The idea of interbasin transfers is nothing new for Nevada, or for that matter the Southwest. For 125 years, Nevada communities such as Carson City, Tonopah and Lovelock have drawn water from other groundwater basins. What the SNWA proposes to do is no different -- to safely and sustainably bring a small amount of this untapped water into Southern Nevada.

Periodically, we have heard opponents of the groundwater project characterize Southern Nevada as a land of rampant water waste, uncontrolled growth and people who have no concern for the future of our rural neighbors or the environment in rural Nevada. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Southern Nevada has a great story to tell, not only in its commitment to working with outside stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial goals, but also in its commitment to conservation and the prudent development of long-term water resources and facilities.

This community has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to water efficiency. During the past two years, our municipal water use decreased by approximately 18 billion gallons, even as our population increased by 165,000.

Through the Water Smart Landscapes rebate program, residents and businesses have removed more than 60 million square feet of grass -- enough to lay a strip of sod roughly one-third of the way around the Earth. And from the perspective of economic benefits, our water use is highly efficient. Fact: The much-maligned Las Vegas Strip uses only 3 percent of our water while providing jobs to tens of thousands of Nevadans.

Our record of environmental stewardship and rural collaboration is significant. In addition to the Lincoln County Agreement, we have agreements with the Moapa Valley Water District, the Muddy Valley Irrigation Company and the Virgin Valley Water District on the sharing of resources. Furthermore, we have several agreements with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, underscoring our commitment to environmental stewardship.

Nevada water law is among the strictest in the West, containing specific protections for existing water users. Ultimately, the Nevada State Engineer -- not the SNWA -- will determine how much water can sustainably be drawn from the basins in which the SNWA has applications. This decision will undoubtedly be protective of existing water users. Beyond that, the SNWA is open to creating other safeguards, such as a provision that re-evaluates the permits after 75 years to provide long-term protection.

While hydrologists may debate how much water these basins can sustainably yield, few would argue the fact that these groundwater supplies are naturally replenished. The question is not whether, but rather how much, water is available from these vast groundwater stores.

The underlying issue is one of concern to all Nevadans. Communities all over the state are, and will continue to be, dependent on transferring water from outside their basin. Reno, Fernley and Pahrump will not be able to meet their challenges without this ability.

Future generations of Nevadans must rely on us to find a new blueprint by which these resources can be developed, one that is respectful of rural lifestyles and environmentally sustainable, a new blueprint that relegates the disaster of Owens Valley to ancient history, where it can find its rightful place with the cavemen and the dinosaurs. Nevada's future depends on Nevadans working together today to develop that blueprint.