The Great Water Boondoggle: Stop the Water Grab
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking comment on the latest Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the SNWA proposed pipeline that will pump BILLIONS of gallons of water from ancient aquifers deep below northeastern Nevada and parts of Utah down to southern Nevada. There is absolutely NO doubt that the 306 miles of 8-foot-diameter underground pipeline – combined with the pump stations, electrical lines, and filtration system – will forever change the landscape of eastern Nevada. The DEIS explains that most of the impacts are “irreversible and irretrievable.”
Southern Nevada Water Authority’s proposal includes:
- 434 miles of collector pipelines
- 431 miles of roads
- 323 miles of power transmission
- 7 electrical substations
- 5 pumping stations
- A storage reservoir
- Up to 5,537 acres of permanent right of way
Major Impacts & Concerns:
- Increases dust – up to 24,000 tons/year
- Groundwater tables falling 50- 200 feet
- Moderate to high risk for 8,048 acres of wetlands, 305 springs, and 112 miles of streams
- Die off of native vegetation
- Destroys fishing in the area and disrupts habitats for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, and sage grouse.
- SNWA does not yet have the rights to this water
- The DEIS does not include impacts of well locations nor any alternatives to this proposal
What you can do:
The initial deadline for public comment has been extended to October 11, 2011. Tell the BLM you support the “No Action Alternative.”
Attend a meeting and share your concerns:
Southern NV - Nev., Aug. 15 at 4 p.m., Henderson Convention Center, 200 S. Water Street
Northern NV - Aug. 18 at 3 p.m., Sparks High School Large Gym, 820 15th Street
Or send a message to Penny Woods, BLM Project Manager
Mailing Address: PO Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520
Fax Number: 775-861-6689
Email Address:
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Our water supply problem is not going away – we live in a desert! But taking water from ancient aquifers that belongs to the residents, flora, and fauna of the north is simply not a viable solution. This proposal underestimates the impact to the environment and overinflates the demand for resources. Moving forward, the focus should be on developing a sustainable community through policies that reward more dense urban development, eliminates profligate water consumption, and accounts for the real value of water through a tired rate structure. These are not new ideas—they are just a different way of thinking about we should live in southern Nevada, and that makes some people pretty uncomfortable.
For additional information, visit Great Basin Water Network’s site.
