SNWA reaches agreement with Department of Interior bureaus related to water right applications in Cave, Delamar and Dry Lake valleys

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) finalized an agreement Jan. 7, 2008, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service related to the SNWA's request to draw upon untapped groundwater supplies within Cave, Delamar and Dry Lake valleys in Lincoln County.

"The federal agencies and the Southern Nevada Water Authority recognize the importance of balancing the needs of people with the needs of the environment, so our goals were compatible," said SNWA Deputy General Manager Kay Brothers. "We have worked together to develop a monitoring system that will be able to identify potential changes in the groundwater table, effectively providing an 'early warning' system that helps protect water-dependent ecosystems and the sensitive wildlife species they support."

The agreement follows the consensus-based process established in a similar agreement with federal entities related to Spring Valley in White Pine County, where the SNWA was granted water rights last year.  In addition to the extensive groundwater monitoring program already in place, through which data has been collected for a number of years from throughout eastern and central Nevada, the agreement calls for an additional four monitoring wells and eight new spring monitoring sites within the area of interest.

Ongoing biological research focused on "special-status" wildlife species such as threatened or endangered fish and snails that inhabit springs in the area is also included within the agreement. Before any pumping begins, the SNWA will also draft an operation plan that defines specific mitigation measures and the conditions under which they will occur.

For their part, the federal bureaus will withdraw their protests to the SNWA's applications at the upcoming water rights hearing before the Nevada State Engineer, scheduled to begin February 4. The agreement's protections extend beyond the three valleys in which the SNWA has applications to include the Pahranagat Valley Hydrographic Basin, which encompasses the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and the Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, and the southern portion of the White River Valley Hydrographic Basin, which includes the Kirch Wildlife Management Area.

"We recognize that our efforts to reduce Southern Nevada's reliance upon the drought-plagued Colorado River cannot come at the expense of Nevada's environment," Brothers said. "This agreement assures that our use of Nevada's untapped water resources will be conducted in an environmentally responsible manner."

Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, SNWA reach accord on water right applications in Cave, Delamar and Dry Lake valleys

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) finalized an agreement Jan. 9, 2008, with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians (Tribe) resolving the Tribe's protests related to the SNWA's request to draw upon untapped groundwater supplies within Cave, Delamar and Dry Lake valleys in Lincoln County. This accord comes on the heels of an agreement reached earlier this week between the SNWA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service.

"The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians wanted assurances that our pumping would not harm their existing water rights," said SNWA Deputy General Manager Kay Brothers. "Given our commitment to responsible groundwater development, we were happy to agree to terms that provide that security."

The SNWA's applications in the three basins total 34,752 acre-feet per year. A portion of any water permitted to the SNWA by the Nevada State Engineer in those basins will be transferred to Lincoln County under a separate agreement. In addition to the Tribe's groundwater rights—which are within the same flow system but not in the Cave, Delamar or Dry Lake hydrographic basins—it holds a lease for surface water rights to the Muddy River, as well as additional groundwater applications pending before the Nevada State Engineer. The Tribe also has claims to federally reserved water rights pursuant to a settlement agreement that is awaiting federal approval.

Under the agreement, the SNWA agreed to several measures should the Tribe's water rights be harmed, including but not limited to reducing or ceasing groundwater withdrawals, augmenting regional groundwater tables or other mutually agreeable actions. The SNWA also agreed that while the Tribe is not a party to the recent agreement with the federal agencies, the SNWA will share access to data, reports and other analyses related to the basins being monitored as part of that accord.

With those assurances in hand, the Tribe agreed to withdraw its protest to the SNWA's applications at the upcoming water rights hearing before the Nevada State Engineer, scheduled to begin Feb. 4, 2008.