Laserfiche WebLink
<br />WATER PROBLEMS OF THE LAS VEGAS BASIN <br /> <br />Hugh A. Shamberger, State Engineer of Nevada <br /> <br />When the present city of Las Vegas began in 1905, as a railroad <br />division point, only a few shallow wells had been dug and there were no <br />flowing wells. Las Vegas Spring was reported to flow approximately 3,000 <br />gallons a minute and Kyle Spring approximately 300 gallons a minute. Late <br />in 1905 the Vegas Artesian Water Syndicate was organized to prove the existence <br />of artesian water in Las Vegas Valley. In 1911 there were approximately 100 <br />deep wells in the valley of which 75 were flowing wells. <br /> <br />During this early period, flowing wells were not capped and water <br />from them was wasted. Discharge from wells and springs averaged 21,500 acre- <br />feet a year from 1912 to 1924, and remained more or less constant to 1942 not- <br />withstanding an increase in the number of wells from 120 to 350. In 1943, <br />because of increase in population and activity resulting from the Basic <br />Magnesium Plant and the Army Air Field, pumps were installed and discharge <br />from wells increased rapidly. In 1946 the total discharge from wells and <br />springs was 31,700 acre-feet and the number of wells increased to about 470. <br />In 1950 the total discharge was 34,104 acre-feet, of which about one-third <br />was used for municipal purposes. <br /> <br />Between 1922 and 1936 the state Agricultural Experiment Station <br />made pumping tests and reconnaissance studies of recharge areas. In 1938 <br />the State Engineer started an active campaign to reduce waste of water from <br />free-flowing wells. A cooperative investigation of underground leakage from <br />artesian wells is reported in U. S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 849-D. <br /> <br />The State Engineer successfully sponsored an underground water act <br />in 1939, and with amendments adopted since, Nevada now has a comprehensive <br />ground-water law. It provides that in any area where 15% of the owners of <br />wells having a legal right to appropriate water petition the State Engineer <br />he may, fOllowing an investigation, designate such area by basin, or portion <br />therein, and proceed with the administration of the act as it applies to such <br />designated area. In 1941 a large portion of the Las Vegas Basin was designated. <br />All well owners were ordered to put control valves on free-flowing wells.. The <br />act requires everyone who desires to drill a well in a designated area, other <br />than for domestic use, to make application and obtain a permit to appropriate <br />water prior to drilling. As a result of these measures several million gallons <br />of water a day were conserved, and all wells drilled after 1940 were properly <br />constructed. <br /> <br />Water meters are prohibited in Las Vegas by a Nevada statute. The <br />result is excessive use of water per capita, as much as 700 gallons per day <br />in summer. The State Engineer has recommended repealing this act as a con- <br />servation measure. <br /> <br />A comprehensive study of ground-wat~r conditions in the Las Vegas <br />and Pahrump basins was begun in July, 1944, by cooperative arrangement between <br />the Geological Survey and the State Engineer. In 1945 the Survey and the State <br />Engineer began a state-wide cooperative ground-water study which included the <br />Las Vegas Valley study. The report is contained in State of Nevada Water <br /> <br />_21_ <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />