Letter: No threat intended against state engineer

Friday, Aug. 18, 2006 | 9:09 a.m.

On Wednesday morning, when I opened the paper and came to the end of the article "A matter of survival" (Las Vegas Sun, Aug. 16), I was mortified to read that anyone had been left with the impression that we at the Southern Nevada Water Authority would overtly or tacitly threaten the state engineer.

During my tenure at the Water Authority I have had the great fortune to work with four outstanding professionals who have held that position. Their task is enormous and never without controversy. Oftentimes the decision of the state engineer has not gone our way and we have always respected his decision.

The statements that were made to the Sun news team were factual answers to questions about how and by whom water right decisions are made and how the individual charged with that responsibility is selected. There was never any intention to give the impression that we would manipulate that process or engage in personal attacks.

We respect the autonomy and authority of the state engineer. State law clearly lays out those authorities, along with appeal processes should a petitioner want to challenge the decision. He will make his decision based on the data and evidence presented to him during the hearings. That's the way our system is supposed to work. The unfortunate part is that injecting a perceived "implication" casts a taint on the process. That taint has to be lifted.

Once again, to set the record straight, the Water Authority respects the water right process of the state engineer and would never engage in veiled threats to achieve a desired result from that process.

Pat Mulroy, Las Vegas

Editor's note: The writer is general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.