Water War Escalates in Snake Valley

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) A so-called "water grab" in Snake Valley, Utah, has become a "bait and switch," according to ranchers and residents of the arid West Desert community. The Southern Nevada Water Authority appears to have doubled its request for the amount of water it hopes to pump from an aquifer beneath the Utah-Nevada border. Rancher Cecil Garland says that would be a disaster:

"You're talking about wiping out the vegetation in the valley floor," says Garland. "You're talking about the elimination of all wildlife habitat. You're talking about removing forever the possibility of having agricultural and ranching communities here in the Snake Valley ever again."

The Bureau of Land Management confirms that Nevada officials are now hoping to pump 50-thousand acre-feet of water from the shared aquifer in Snake Valley. Preliminary reports to determine the environmental impact of the pumping were based on a request of only 25-thousand acre feet. Snake Valley Resident Ken Hill believes the switch invalidates that work:

"We thought all along the project was a moving target and this is one more example of that," says Hill. "If they were able to take 25,000 acre feet a year out of Snake Valley, I can guarantee there would be significant impacts. "But 50,000 - I think that would just be unmitigated."

Utah State Water engineer Boyd Clayton says the increased request from Nevada doesn't directly affect ongoing negotiations over the underground aquifer in Snake Valley. He says those negotiations are focused on how best to divide the shared resource.

Residents on the Utah side of Snake Valley are pleading with Utah's congressional delegation to require more studies before allowing Nevada to pump an ounce from the region.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW