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Las Vegas Groundwater Import Project

Las Vegas Groundwater Import Project. Presentation by: Boyd Clayton March 15, 2005 West Desert High School.

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Las Vegas Groundwater Import Project

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  1. Las Vegas Groundwater Import Project Presentation by: Boyd Clayton March 15, 2005 West Desert High School

  2. The purpose of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for this project is specifically related to the rights-of-way applications for the pipelines and other facilities. The BLM is responsible for overseeing the EIS process and evaluating the potential impacts associated with granting the rights-of-way. The EIS does not address the water rights related to this project. The Nevada Office of the State Engineer will determine whether or not to grant water rights through an independent process.

  3. Southern Nevada Water Plan

  4. Las Vegas Groundwater Applications • 147 Wells • 125,000 ~ 200,000 Acft • Priority ~ 1989 • Lincoln, White Pine, Nye, and Clark Counties

  5. Hurdles • State Engineer Approval • Permits and Rights of Way (EIS) • Cost • Construction

  6. Groundwater Basics

  7. Basin Fill Characteristics

  8. Carbonate Rock Aquifer

  9. Groundwater Flow Pattern

  10. Current Activities

  11. Nevada SE Three Lakes Decision • 7 applications 58cfs 17,000acft • Limited to 8,895 acft • Monitoring Program • Termination if impacts are detected • Dismissed objections without factual submissions • Rejected idea of appropriating “transistional storage” and any basin “overdraft”. • Considered cross basin issues and impacts on distant springs where data was available to address the issue.

  12. HR4593 (Public Law 108-424) • Signed November 30, 2004 • BLM to Grant Right of Way • Compliance with NEPA • Groundwater Study • Utah/Nevada water resources agreement • Does not preempt existing water rights law

  13. EIS Process • Scoping late April Early May • Draft Summer 2006 • Final Mid 2007

  14. Groundwater Study • USGS, DRI, Utah to participate • $6,000,000 • Complete 36 months (December 1, 2007) • Deliverables • Volume of water stored in aquifers • Recharge and discharge characteristics • Hydrogeologic and other controls • Maps of aquifer systems

  15. Water Resources Agreement Prior to any transbasin diversion from ground-water basins located within both the state of Nevada and the State of Utah, the State of Nevada and the State of Utah shall reach an agreement regarding the division of water resources of those interstate ground-water flow system(s) from which water will be diverted and used by the project. The agreement shall allow for the maximum sustainable beneficial use of the water resources and protect existing water rights.

  16. Ways to Participate • Identify Issues ASAP • Collect data develop factual arguments • Digest Existing Studies • Review/Update Water Rights • Participate in Decision Processes • Nevada SE Decision • Right of Way EIS • Utah / Nevada Interstate Water Resource Agreement

  17. Existing Studies • Snake Valley Tech Pub 14, 71 • Carbonate Aquifer (OFR 93-170) • Pumping Study (WRI 95-4173) • UGS Snake Valley Study (RI 254)

  18. Websites • Utah Division of Water Rights http://waterrights.utah.gov • USGS (Nevada) http://nv.water.usgs.gov/ • BLM (EIS) http://www.nv.blm.gov/ely/ • Nevada Water Rights http://water.nv.gov/

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