Rural counties fear LV grab for water

Nevada's rural counties fear that thirsty, fast-growing Clark County, home of the state's largest population, will steal their water.

It is Nevada Water Planner Naomi Duerr's job to put those fears to rest by developing a resource management plan for the driest state in the union.

Clark County's increasing need for water is obvious. Las Vegas hosts 70 percent of the state's population -- a figure that is estimated to jump to 78 percent by 2018.

Other counties are so afraid of Southern Nevada's scramble for water to support growth that they have suggested the Nevada Legislature ban inter-basin transfers of water, Duerr said.

"There's great fear out there," she said.

Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy said such a law would devastate efforts by Clark County to obtain more water from the Colorado River or outside the county's boundaries.

The SNWA is trying to squeeze every extra drop from the Colorado River that feeds into Lake Mead. Of all the states that use the Colorado River as a water resource, Nevada receives the smallest share -- 300,000 acre-feet a year. Negotiations are currently underway with Arizona to store water underground, a sort of savings account in case of a drought. Nevada officials also are urging the federal government to allow water transfers between states to keep up with the growth.

"It would be very hard to do anything if there was a law that banned inter-basin transfers within the state," Mulroy said.

The SNWA board asked Duerr to return south later this year after the Nevada Water Advisory Board develops about 16 recommendations for the 1999 Nevada Legislature.

"We all have the same fears that we will lose control over our own destinies," SNWA Chairwoman Mary Kincaid said.

Surprisingly Clark County uses only 12 percent of the state's water resources -- including ground water and the Colorado River, coming in as the third for largest water user.

Elko County is the largest water user at 24 percent, while Humboldt County is second at 16 percent. Both counties irrigate acres of alfalfa and support ranching operations.

The state also based its per-person rate of use on old numbers. The U.S. Geological Survey said a Clark County resident used 349 gallons of water per day in 1990. That figure does not include the more than 30 million tourists visiting the valley each year.

But SNWA's Nick Braybrook said the valley's use rate has dropped to 180 gallons per person per day. "We've been working real hard on conservation in recent years," he said.

The average U.S. resident uses 168 gallons per day, according to the 1990 information. USGS has not published updated figures since then.

Once the water plan is ready, the Nevada Legislature will decide the next step.

"Water is a resource owned by all the people of Nevada," Duerr said. "The plan is a road map from where we are now to where we will be in 20 or 50 years.

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