BOARD00031 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. :J - G) .! I ! 3 u III - 0 III 2 c ~ :i 1 . August 1 Forecast of 2006 Year-End Colorado River Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies '-'_._'_0_0-'---.-'---"-.-.---'-'-.---.-.'-.-'-- -----------------------.--------------.- 3.850 MAF -2003 Target = 3.74 MAF . . . . . . . 2006 Target = 3.64 MAF - . -. - 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF - - - - 2012 Target = 3.47 MAF _______ Year-End Forecast --+-- Use This Year o J F M A M J J A SON 0 J First of Month Utah Groups Join Nevada Water Rights Filing: Newspapers in Utah are reporting increasing opposition to Las Vegas $2 billion plan to drill wells in the west desert and pipe the water to Las Vegas. Snake Valley ranchers want Las Vegas to stay away from Utah's water and a meeting was recently held in SUalt Lake to talk about the issue. Utah ranchers fear that Las Vegas $2 billion plan means they'll be left dry to blow away with the desert wind. Snake Valley is dry, remote, and straddles the Utah/Nevada line. Most of the ranchers rely on wells and springs for water, and though most of the valley is in Utah, most of the water comes from the mountains in Nevada. Las Vegas plans to build wells and a pipeline and take enough water for 50,000 households from Snake Valley, and additional supplies from neighboring Nevada valleys. Although the wells will be on the Nevada side, Utah ranchers fear that if too much water is removed from the aquifer, it will dry up neighboring lands in Utah. The Southern Nevada Water Authority says the law only allows it to take water that is now unused, and state and federal officials will enforce that law. Officials with Utah's Division of Water Resources say the plan isn't very good and could be improved. They are presently speaking with Nevada officials and it is reported that there could be a deal in the works between the two states. Please recall that Colorado is on record as objecting to those portions of the plan that involve surface waters that are tributary to the Colorado River and subject to the Colorado River Compact and related laws. Colorado has not objected to any plan by Las Vegas that seeks to develop only none tributary groundwater. Long-Term Colorado River Augmentation Study: The Colorado River long-term water augmentation study being conducted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority has completed the process of gathering information and options for further study. Colorado's comment letter is attached. The study team is compiling the information and developing a plan on how to proceed based on the information provided. Upper Colorado River Flows Dwindling: High water levels in Dillon and Green Mountain reservoirs helped sustain the booming local summer recreation industry this summer, but there is a downside for Grand County, just to the north, where Colorado River flows have dropped down to levels not seen since . at least the drought summer of 2002. 17