Jon Ralston on why the governor’s suggestion to build a desalinization plant misses the point

Sun, Feb 24, 2008 (2:01 a.m.)

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“I know water from the ground up.”

— Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Northern/rural Nevada, Oct. 9, 2006

I always wondered what in the world that meant, but I figured because then-Rep. Gibbons was a hydrologist, it must mean something.

Experience is the best teacher, though, and I realize 16 months later it makes as much sense as, “Twas brillig and the slithy toves ...” Or, perhaps, less sense.

Now that he is Gov. Jim Gibbons, R-Northern/rural Nevada, it has become clear that he knows little about water — either literally or metaphorically. (Hey, Governor, did you notice the state budget is underwater?)

This inexorable fact became clear this week when the governor, repeating a mistake from almost exactly two years ago, gave a rural audience what it wanted, without regard to the long-term consequences.

As much as Gibbons loves the rurals, someone ought to tell him that it is downright condescending to act as if the cow counties don’t have newspapers. Remember in February 2005 when he went to Elko and frothed at a Lincoln Day Dinner about “liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals,” among other things, as dutifully reported by the Elko Daily Free Press?

Now another fine rural newspaper, the Lahontan Valley News, reports that our hydrologist governor expounded on water on the ground up in Fallon last week. Here’s the relevant section:

“He (Gibbons) touched on water issues and said before the state allocates water, it needs to take inventory of its resource and identify its uses before releasing any surplus. Instead of pitting northern and southern Nevada against each other over water, Gibbons proposed scrapping the idea of a pipeline to move water down south. He suggested the state aid in building water desalinization plants in California and trade water credits on the Colorado River.”

There is so much to say about that small paragraph. But, luckily, I know Gibbons from the ground up. So here goes:

Gibbons has been trying to have it both ways on the rural water importation project since he ran for governor. His opponent, state Sen. Dina Titus, called him on his “see no pipeline” rhetoric in the rurals while he was collecting most of his war chest from Southern Nevada gamers and developers who support the project.

Gibbons later delivered his “we are one state” inaugural address, followed quickly by a meeting in which he seemed to indicate opposition to the pipeline project, followed almost as quickly by a denial that he was against it. The governor insisted he wouldn’t take a stance until after the Desert Research Institute completed an inventory of the state’s water needs, but that went nowhere.

Around that time, he also came up with the kooky idea of selling water rights under highways down here — oh, yes, that’s a unifying idea, too. And now the Fallon speech, which while not as nutty as the infamous, plagiarized Elko screed, is more evidence that Gibbons does speak Jabberwocky in all areas of the state.

Before the environmental screeches start up — and the enviros are the governor’s new best friends after this week’s statements in Fallon — I am not suggesting that every Southern Nevadan should reflexively support the pipeline project, which has an exploding price tag (now $3.5 billion) and many unresolved questions. But for the state’s most prominent elected official to come out against it and to suggest desalting as an alternative misses the fundamental point, which is surprising if his water knowledge starts at the ground.

The water folks have been looking at desalting plants in Arizona, California and Mexico. But even if one or more comes to fruition — and it will take awhile — such a facility would not do anything to help with the reliability issue. That’s because an alternative must be found that doesn’t have anything to do with the Colorado River, from which we get 90 percent of our water. So exchanging river credits for a desalting plant is not helpful.

That doesn’t mean the rural water project is the only alternative, although water czar Pat Mulroy says tapping in-state resources is essential “even if not one more person moves into the state.”

“I am not sure the governor fully understands what’s happening down here,” Mulroy said, showing a gift for understatement. Mulroy said she hopes to meet with Gibbons to see how firm his opposition is.

Then again, maybe Mulroy should listen when they get together. Maybe our hydrologist governor can teach her something because, of course, Gibbons knows water from the ground up.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By wunderink

2/26/08 at 8:39 a.m.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
PRONevada.org on why Jon Ralston is an Idiot
On Sunday, February 24 the Las Vegas Sun posted Jon Ralston's column titled "Jon Ralston on why the governor's suggestion to build a desalinization plant misses the point" PRO Nevada offers this assessment of his comments:

1] Jon is an idiot because he cannot contain is obvious dislike for Gov. Gibbons. Any hint that his columns are unbiased or fair dribbles away with his cheap comments "Hey, Governor, did you notice the state budget is underwater?" and "plagiarized Elko screed" and "of course, Gibbons knows water from the ground up."

2] Jon is an idiot because he calls what is "short-sighted" visionary and what is visionary, short-sighted. To say that spending ever increasing Yucca-like billions on a thousand mile pipeline through Nevada's desert to water the grounds at Caesar's Palace is visionary and "essential" and the Governor's suggestion that we spend the billions on creating a NEW SOURCE for water is short sighted and "nutty" is to show Jon's idiotic tendencies.

3] Jon is an idiot because he doesn't understand how ALL water is related. He says Gibbons misses the point because desalinating in AZ, CA and Mexico won't help the overuse of the Colorado River. What is he thinking? I guess he was just clouded by his dislike of the Governor because if CA takes one gallon out of the Pacific ocean that means it will take one less gallon out of the Colorado. If Mexico can convert salt water into fresh water for it's crops and people they will not need as much of the Colorado. Maybe Jon is swayed by the polished, good-looking, alto-voiced Pat Mulroy in her calming commercials as she thanks Las Vegas for their conserving efforts and casually mentions raping the rural counties.

4] Jon is an idiot because he is all FOR the environmentalists as they attempt to stop Yucca but he calls them "Environmental Screechers" when they attempt to stop this foolish pipeline.

The parallels are obvious between Yucca and the Pipeline: we will spend increasing billions on something that will probably never happen and is environmentally suspect instead of spending billions on new technologies to take care of the REAL problems. Instead of the whole US trying to screw Nevada, Las Vegas and Jon Ralston are trying to screw the rural counties.

Jon Ralston is obvious PRO Las Vegas and not PRO Nevada.

Posted by http://pronevada.blogspot.com/
By CynicalObserver

2/26/08 at 12:15 p.m.

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Governor Gibbons proved, once again, that he is a complete idiot when he said that the Southern Nevada Water Authority should build water desalinization plants in Southern California.

Some of my best friends are Sierra Club chapter presidents, vice presidents and national committee members from Southern California. I once innocently said something about desalinization plants being a viable water source, citing their use in Saudi Arabia. The Sierra Clubbers nearly ripped my head off.

Apparently desalinization plants discharge warm to hot water into the ocean, and destroy the habitat of marine species in wide areas surrounding the plants. California has a law called "CEQA" which creates a complicated environmental review process for private and public projects...a precondition to building entirely non-existent in Nevada.

If SNWA were to propose to build a desalinization plant anywhere in California, it would have to receive permits from a multitude of California governmental agencies, including the Coastal Commission and the county where the project would be located. CEQA would apply. Building of a desalinization plant would be delayed for decades, if not outright prevented.

The consensus among California environmentalists is that there is no way a California water agency could get approval to build a desalinization plant in California. And the thought of an "interloper" Nevada water agency getting such an approval reduces them to condescending snickering.

I find it hard to believe Governor Gibbons is so stupid as to believe SNWA could build a desalinization plant in California. Maybe he's just being disingenuous in pandering to Northern California voters.
By Dr_Truth

2/27/08 at 4:40 a.m.

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It seems to me that reducing California's dependence on the Colorado River should be one of our top priorities.

Los Angeles and San Diego get 40% of their water from the Colorado.

The Imperial Valley uses 10 times as much water as Las Vegas does, also from the Colorado.

So Cal knows if they want to keep growing they have no choice but to build desal plants. San Diego County is already building one in Carlsbad.

California uses the vast majority of Colorado River Water. If they got their water from the Ocean, a limitless supply of water, Las Vegas would actually be able to sustain itself for as long as the river keeps flowing. Someone (who isn't biased) needs to do a study on how much a desal plant would cost and how much water it will produce vs. the proposed pipeline.