Water pipeline leads to years of court battles

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is moving ahead with plans to import water to the Las Vegas valley from underground aquifers in rural parts of Nevada. But is the plan still workable after decades of court battles over the environmental impact of a giant pipeline? The pipeline would run across 300 miles of public land and requires federal approval. There are serious concerns about the project -- which include predictions of devastating environmental effects. But amid cheers about progress on a third intake to draw water from Lake Mead, the water authority took action with much less fanfare on another multi-billion dollar project. The board decided to move forward with a plan to build a 300-mile long pipeline to pump water to Las Vegas from sources in rural Nevada. "The water of the state of Nevada belongs to the people of the state of Nevada," said John Entsminger, SNWA general manager. "Seven out of every 10 people live here in the Las Vegas valley." "This pipeline is going to cost in excess of $16 billion to build and the water it's going to pump is of very limited nature and the reason you are pumping it is to sustain unreasonable growth in the Las Vegas valley. It just doesn't make sense," said Rob Mrowka, Center for Biological Diversity. Critics of the pipeline say sucking water out of rural aquifers will dry up streams and wells vital to wildlife and agriculture. "The water table will be 200 feet down, in excess of 200 feet. Everything will die," said Lincoln County rancher Farrel Lytle. So far, not an inch of pipe has been laid in the project despite roughly $100 million being spent on research, water rights and court battles with opponents...more

"The water of the state of Nevada belongs to the people of the state of Nevada," said John Entsminger, SNWA general manager.

That statement highlights the problem.  How many times have you heard that certain lands "belong to all the people"?  That is just a fancy way to say government ownership.  

Government ownership of resources such as land, water and wildlife leads to political management, which then leads to gross inefficiencies and oft times corruption.

You have a choice:  Let the highest and best use of these resources be determined by the market, or let it be determined by a political hack.