Utah-Nevada water plan draws fire

An agreement that would allocate water in the Snake Valley aquifer equally between Utah and Nevada doesn't make sense because it assumes an excess of water in the West Desert, residents and experts from both states said Wednesday night. During a "citizens meeting" organized by the Utah Association of Counties and the Great Basin Water Network, opponents of the proposed agreement between the two states and the Las Vegas public water utility questioned why details of the four-year negotiations remain secret, given the potential harm to residents and the environment. "We don't have any surplus water in Snake Valley. For goodness' sake, we're the epicenter of the drought," said Cecil Garland, who has ranched the West Desert near Callao for 36 years. Unveiled during four public hearings in Utah and Nevada last month, the proposal is drawing fire from ranchers, conservationists and elected officials from both states. The Southern Nevada Water Authority wants to build a 300-mile pipeline that would siphon 50,000 to 60,000 acre-feet from the valley to support current and anticipated growth in Las Vegas...SaltLakeTribune