WSP06512

• File Number: 8220.200.02.I
• Description: Southern Nevada Water Project
• State: NV
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1995
• Author: Dames & Moore
• Title: Environmental Assessment of the Colorado River Commission's Proposed Southern Nevada Water System Facilities Improvement Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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EXECUfIVE SUMMARY

Several recent studies evaluating projected
southern Nevada water demand versus the
capacity of the existing water supply system
have concluded that, although Nevada has legal
access to its Colorado River Water Allocation,
the capacity of the system to deliver this water
will no longermeet~y May 1997.

In response to increasing water demands, the
Colorado River Commission is proposing to

re water from
e ead to the Las Vegas Valley service area
by May 1997 to~ to
improve the reliab~eatment
and delivery system.

The water treatment and main pumping facilities
are located approximately 12 miles southeast of
Las Vegas in the River Mountains area west of
Lake Mead. Principal system improvements
include:

. construction of a new 12-foot-diameter
Parallel River Mountains Tunnel;
. construction of a 6O-million-gallon water
storage tank;
. construction of a 5-million-gallon
regulating tank;
. improvements to the existing Alfred
Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility;
. installation of an 8- to IO-foot-diameter
pipeline from the water treatment facility
to the new tunnel;
. installation of two new pumping plants;
and
. electrical improvements to the power
system.

In addition, the proposed project includes three
pipeline laterals, totalling approximately 42,000
feet in length, to be installed in the urban areas
of the Cities of Henderson, Las Vegas, and
North Las Vegas, as well as a new pumping
plant in North Las Vegas.

Project construction would begin upon receipt of
all necessary agency approvals, expected in the
summer of 1995, and would require 20 to 24
months to complete.

The majority of the proposed project facilities
are located on federal lands withdrawn for water
project use. These lands fall under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation.
Based on their preliminary review of the project
plans, the Bureau of Reclamation decided that an
Environmental Assessment for the project would
be necessary under the National Environmental
Policy Act. This Environmental Assessment has
been prepared in accordance with the Bureau of
Reclamation guidelines for implementing the
National Environmental Policy Act.

The Environmental Assessment describes the
affected environment, identifies potential
environmental consequences of the proposed
action, and identifies mitigation measures that
have been incorporated into the project to
minimi7e impacts for each of the following
resource areas:

. Air Quality;
. Geology and Mineral Resources;
. Hydrology;
. Biological Resources;
. Land Use and Recreation;
. Cultural Resources;
. Paleontologic Resources;
. Noise;
. Visual Resources;
. Transportation; and
. Socioeconomics.

The Environmental Assessment also addresses
the No Action alternative, and two alternatives
considered but eliminated from detailed
evaluation: the Southern Nevada Water
Authority Treatment and Transmission Facility
Acceleration Alternative; and the Water
Conservation Alternative.

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