Las Vegas Sun

UNLV geoscientist David Kreamer evidently did not provide any numbers regarding the amount of fresh water that could be produced from mobilizing warships now in mothballs.

A proposal has been made to the Bureau of Reclamation to store up to a million acre feet (325,900,000,000 gallons) of non-tributary fresh water each year in the available "air space" in Lake Mead. The offer includes a provision for paying the increase in evaporation losses due to the increase in surface area and for absolute measuring of the non-tributary new water into the Colorado River system.

For 5 years, the Bureau, Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water Authority have been offered full confidential knowledge of the Source which can be developed that is environmentally acceptable and without damage to the water rights of anyone, anywhere.

Internationally, maybe an agreement could be reached for 80,000 acre feet of the non-tributary water stored in Lake Mead to be released each year for delivery to the All American Canal to recharge the ground water supply for Mexicali, Mexico. The ground water supply for Mexicali will soon cease due to the concrete lining of the All American Canal that delivers water to the San Diego area. Just one of many possiblities....

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

Time for a "Good Trade"....

Now is the time for Nevada accept Yucca if
the DOE will double Nevada's fresh water supply !

That would be a good "Good Trade" !

How many jobs and much revenue is a new million acre feet of fresh water each year worth to Nevada ? ( That's 325,900,000,000 gallons.)

The new water Source can keep Lake Mead full and producing 2000 megawatts of renewable energy every year for Nevada.

A request has already been made to the Bureau of Reclamation to lease the air space in Lake Mead for the storage of a million acre feet of non-tributary fresh water a year !

More than enough fresh water would remove the risk of drying up the desert environment and would solve the problems for Las Vegas and the SNWA !

Odds are, Yucca will eventually prevail. The point is what will Nevada get in trade ... ?

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

Sure, Yucca is a gamble...

Science, timing, economics and politics can often produce unexpected results.

An equitable settlement is tough for both sides, but one side always loses if compromise does not prevail.

A struggle on one issue can sometimes solve a huge need in an unexpected arena...

Above all else, Nevada needs water...right ?

Nevada should consider an equitable settlement on Yucca ( assuming the science is confirmed ), in TRADE for DOE's development of a new Source of fresh water that would DOUBLE Nevada's water supply ! "Good Trade" !

How many jobs and much revenue is a million acre feet of fresh water each year worth to Nevada? ( That's 325,900,000,000 gallons.)

What is it worth to Nevada to keep Lake Mead full and producing 2000 megawatts of renewable energy every year ? It can be done.

What would it be worth to Las Vegas, the SNWA and the desert environment to have a more than ample fresh water ?

Odds are, Yucca will eventually prevail. The point is will Nevada get anything in return ... ?

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

Lake Mead generates 1800 megawatts of renewable energy every year. The new Source can keep Lake Mead full and provide Nevada with double the fresh water Nevada now has. Write someone in Nevada who cares... Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

Lake Mead is already built and produces 1800 megawatts of renewable energy each year. There is a way to keep Lake Mead FULL and provide Las Vegas with a new fresh water Source for the future. All Senator Reid has to do is request a simple investigation for the Bureau of Reclamation.

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

Yucca is a gamble...

Science, timing, economics and politics can often produce unexpected results.

An equitable settlement is tough for both sides, but one side always loses if compromise does not prevail.

A struggle on one issue can sometimes solve a huge need in an unexpected arena...

Above all else, Nevada needs water...right ?

Would Nevada consider an equitable settlement on Yucca ( assuming the science is confirmed ), in TRADE for DOE's development of a new Source of fresh water that would double Nevada's water supply ?

How much could the SNWA save those it serves? What is it worth to Nevada to keep Lake Mead full and producing 1800 megawatts of renewable energy every year ? What would it be worth to Las Vegas to have a more than ample fresh water Source ?

Is an investigation to verify worth considering ?

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

The SNWA and Sierra Pacific could easily coordinate efforts to save us rate payers hundreds of millions of dollars.

It is long overdue that the "us" in U.S. be restored to the U.S. tax and rate payer with regard to water and power.

Sierra Pacific Resources wrote the SNWA in March of 2007 that a new fresh water Source for the region was definitely plausible and recommended that SNWA investigate for us. The SNWA ignored Sierra's recommendation....

SNWA could use the fresh water rather than risk damage to the desert environment from the pumping of their proposed wells. Development of the Source would not interfer with any of SNWA's plans. Sierra could use the remainder of the Source and the return flows from SNWA's primary usage to keep Lake Mead reasonably full for all of us.

Lake Mead generates 1800 megawatts of renewable energy and of course, is already on line and functioning for us. Unless something is done, Lake Mead is projected to go dry.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could easily measure and subtract the slight increase in evaporation losses and utilize excess water to restore the 9 Billion dollar Colorado River Delta ( AZ study) for us, as well as provide a vast water reserve for the rest of the region including the soon to be drought devastated Southern California.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) supplies water to about 25 million of us and has had its supply cut by more than 30%. The MWD also refuses to consider a new fresh water Source of one million acre feet as a resource to be investigated !

Numerous other us in the SW Region of the U.S. could also benefit by development of the Source. With a win-win for millions of us, a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars for us and a guarantee that neither the environment or the water rights of anyone, anywhere will be damaged....why not fully investigate such a vast available natural resource for us ??

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

"Kay Brothers, the authority’s deputy general manager, said last month that the agency has never suppressed evidence."

Oh Really ? For the last 5 years, the SNWA has been offered a truly new fresh water Source that will yield a million acre feet a year. That is 3 times NV's allocation from the Colorado River.
Not once has this alternative Source been mentioned by the SNWA ! For those of you who pay fees to the SNWA, the SNWA has also been assured that development of the new Source will save the SNWA hundreds of millions of dollars. If you don't know about that, maybe the savings too has been "supressed".

Let's also clear up another matter,..."An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons of water, enough to serve two single-family homes for a year." That is also a suppression of the evidence ! For planning purposes, the in-house domestic use in a one single family dwelling is conservatively estimated to be 350 gallons per day which equates to 0.39 AF per year. But the SNWA suppresses the fact that only 5-10% of that amount is consumptively used ! Therefore, an acre foot (AF) of water can be utilized for the domestic in-house use of 25-50 homes because of return flow credits back to the Colorado River or stream source receiving the effluent ! This is done directly or by exchange.

The new Source of fresh water would at least double the existing water resources of Nevada. The SNWA and the Bureau of Reclamation REFUSE to investigate to verify the validity of the Source because they claim they cannot enter into confidentiality agreements. What the SNWA and the Bureau can do is request an outside attorney to review the facts and the evidence and report as to the validity of the new Source. Both the SNWA and the Bureau REFUSE to consult an outside attorney for an opinion regarding the claimed aspects of the new Source.

The reason for mentioning the Bureau of Reclamation is because the return flows to the Colorado River after the initial domestic use from the Source could be utilized to keep Lake Mead reasonably full and assuring the 1800 megawatts of annual power generation ! The Bureau is responsible for the operation of Lake Mead's power.

Fighting over computer models, monitoring wells and producing mountains of paper in hearings and Court cases will not produce a single drop of new water for Nevada. A million acre feet of new fresh water is 325,900,000,000 gallons a year !

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

As a retired Water Court Referee, I found the first NV State Engineer's 40 page opinion to be based on the facts, law and the evidence that were presented in the 19 year old case before him. The pending case will have different facts and evidence for the State Engineer to consider.

All parties in these matters have been offered knowledge of a truly new fresh water Source that on average could annually provide Nevada with a million acre feet, which is 50 times the 18000 AF the SNWA was just awarded. No one chose to have such an alternative presented for consideration by the State Engineer.

Water from the new Source could be beneficially used in many ways. One of the secondary uses of the water could certainly be for renewable hydroelectric power generation in Lake Mead, especially in light of the fact that it is predicted to dry up soon. Nevada's power company made a preliminary investigation of the new Source and concluded in writing that it was "definitely plausible" and recommended in writing that the SNWA too investigate.

It will take many years before the proposed SNWA wells do or do not mine the desert aquifers. Adequate monitoring will be provided for in the State Engineer's rulings. That too will be argued every drop of the way to Las Vegas.

It is interesting that Nevada has no interest in a water resource that ADDS considerable water to the State without damage to the environment or anyone's water rights. Rarely is such an offer ever been made, anywhere. Usually only criticism, conservation and curtailment are offered up for the water shortage dilemmas facing the region.

The new Source could provide enough water for other agencies ready willing and able to help pay for the SNWA pipeline and the plans of Utah, Calfornia and Arizona.

The Bureau of Reclamation could coordinate such a regional approach, but they have not been asked by Nevada to investigate the possiblities.

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED !

My brother and I agree to present a viable alternative that can protect Nevada and the SNWA community in the absence of Lake Mead !

For four (4) years, we have offered Nevada, the Bureau of Reclamation and the SNWA a truly new Source of fresh water that will keep Lake Mead reasonably full. In addition, the Source can provide a primary Source of potable water for all of the endeavors of the SNWA, including an insurance policy in the event their well depletions are proven problematic. Development of the Source will not damage the environment or the water rights of anyone, anywhere. Water from the Source is legally available and economically feasible to develop.

Last year, Nevada's power company reviewed the Source and concluded in writing that the Source was definitely plausible!

The Source can also provide all of water needs of the St. George area.

Nevada and the SNWA can choose any knowledgeable water attorney and/or water engineers to confidentially analyze the Source and make a timely report to determine if we have met SNWA's CHALLENGE !

SNWA, we hereby call your bluff ! What's the bet.... the future of Nevada & Lake Mead ?

Ray Walker (Retired Water Rights Analyst) waterrdw@yahoo.com