|
<br />~ 1', ., !l.
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />state's leaders. In fact, to
<br />this day, none of the
<br />Colorado's water is used
<br />for agricultural purposes in
<br />Southern Nevada.
<br />Further, even the most
<br />fervently pro-growth mem-
<br />bers of Nevada's state and
<br />local governing hodies
<br />could not envision in the
<br />1920s and '30s that
<br />Southern Nevada's popula-
<br />tion could ever
<br />grow to the mag-
<br />nitude where it
<br />could fully utilize
<br />300,000 acre-feet
<br />of water from the
<br />Colorado.
<br />Accordingly,
<br />Nevada accepted
<br />what was a minis-
<br />cule allocation in
<br />comparison to the
<br />other six states
<br />without quarrel,
<br />holding firm
<br />instead on its bar-
<br />gaining position
<br />for one-third of
<br />the electricity to
<br />be generated at
<br />Hoover Dam.
<br />Once the dam
<br />was completed in
<br />1937, it did, in fact, produce
<br />100 percent of Las Vegas'
<br />electricity until 1955, when
<br />the electric company had to
<br />construct its first supple-
<br />mental combustion turbine.
<br />Today Nevada remains
<br />one of the fastest-growing
<br />states in the nation. As a
<br />result, only 20 percent of
<br />the state's 1.3 million resi-
<br />dents are native-born, the
<br />lowest percentage in the
<br />country, Nevada's econo-
<br />my is dominated by the ser-
<br />vice indnstry which
<br />accounts for 43 percent of
<br />
<br />the state's employment.
<br />Not surprisingly, the hotel,
<br />gaming and recreation
<br />industries support two out
<br />of every three service-relat-
<br />ed jobs. Mining is also a
<br />major industry in Nevada,
<br />accounting for more than
<br />10 percent of total employ-
<br />ment in nine of the state's
<br />15 counties.
<br />Statewide, agriculture
<br />
<br />
<br />(primarily livestock)
<br />accounts for more than 90
<br />percent of water use, with 8
<br />percent going for domestic
<br />and commercial uses, 1
<br />percent to industrial use .
<br />and 0.7 percent for power
<br />production. Southern
<br />Nevada's water-use pattern
<br />is quite different, however.
<br />Sixty-four percent is resi-
<br />dential; irrigation, 8 per-
<br />cent; commercial and fire,
<br />11 percent; and hotels, 8
<br />percent.
<br />The state's water law is
<br />based upon the Doctrine of
<br />Prior Appropriation - the
<br />first to divert water and
<br />place it to beneficial nse
<br />
<br />CRWUA
<br />
<br />o
<br />~
<br />.
<br />o
<br />~.
<br />(' . <IJ
<br />~ ~
<br />z
<br />.
<br />.
<br />~
<br />>
<br />.
<br />~
<br />
<br />acquires the priority right
<br />to use the water. Beneficial
<br />llses of water include:
<br />domestic, irrigation, stock-
<br />watering, mining, industri~
<br />al, commercial, municipal
<br />and recreational.
<br />Within the state, two
<br />interstate compacts govern
<br />surface water allocation.
<br />The California-Nevada
<br />Compact represents agree-
<br />ments between the two
<br />states over waters that rise
<br />in California and flow into
<br />Lake Tahoe and eventual-
<br />ly into the Trockee, Carson
<br />and Walker rivers and
<br />Pyramid Lake. The
<br />Colorado River Compact
<br />and the many laws and
<br />public policies that make
<br />up the Law of the River
<br />governs 70 percent of
<br />Southern Nevadawater
<br />allocations.
<br />Southern Nevada was
<br />awarded its final allocation
<br />of Colorado River water in
<br />1992. To monitor the dis-
<br />tribution of this final allo-
<br />cation and conduct
<br />research, the Southern
<br />Nevada Water Authority
<br />was created among
<br />Southern Nevada water
<br />purveyors and the city of
<br />Las Vegas to represent the
<br />state in efforts to obtain
<br />water through intra- and
<br />interstate transfers. In
<br />addition, technologies such
<br />as desalination and weath-
<br />er modification, along with
<br />the possibility of water
<br />marketing and leasing, are
<br />presently being considered.
<br />Aggressive water conser-
<br />vation measures have been
<br />implemented in Southern
<br />Nevada as well. The goal
<br />of the primary water pnr-
<br />veyor, Las Vegas Valley
<br />Water District, is to change
<br />water-use habits without
<br />causing an adverse impact
<br />on quality of life. Its con-
<br />servation plan is composed
<br />of public education,
<br />research, conservation-
<br />incentive-based water rates
<br />
<br />and water management.
<br />The district also utilized a
<br />citizens task force, incentive
<br />programs, drought contin-
<br />gency planning and many
<br />other conservation activi-
<br />ties. Southern Nevada's
<br />other water purveyors along
<br />with the city of Las Vegas
<br />and Clark County comple-
<br />ment the water district's
<br />educational efforts with
<br />water conservation ordi-
<br />nances and codes.
<br />One of the most promis-
<br />ing research projects is the
<br />artificial recharge program.
<br />Initiated in 1987, treated
<br />Colorado River water is
<br />injected into the groundwa-
<br />,tel' system in the Las Vegas
<br />Valley in the win tel' months
<br />when demand is low, for
<br />future. use or for use 'in the
<br />summer months when
<br />demand is high. The pro,
<br />giam has produced favor-
<br />able results - 38,000 acre-
<br />feet have been stored for
<br />future USe. The water dis-
<br />trict's go'a! is to inject up to
<br />40,000 acre-feet per year.
<br />With the continued influx
<br />of new"business' and resi-
<br />dents to Southern Nevada,
<br />sound water management
<br />has become everyone's pri-
<br />ority. Without the Colorado
<br />River, the economic devel-
<br />opment and quality of life
<br />that Southern Nevadans
<br />have enjoyed would not
<br />have been possible.
<br />
<br />
|