U.S. Water News
VERNAL, Utah -- Utah's consideration of an offer by Las
Vegas, Nev., to use a portion of the state's unused Colorado
River entitlement threatens to stir dissension among other
states in the upper Colorado basin. In its continuing hunt
for additional water supplies, Las Vegas has offered Utah
$20 million a year for 50,000 acre feet of water from the
Colorado River.
"They need it for their new subdivisions, their casinos, and
everything," said Ted Stewart, director of the Utah
Department of Water Resources. Las Vegas officials showed
immediate interest in making a water deal when Stewart first
posed the possibility late last year. According to the Utah
water chief, the state could use the extra $20 million a
year for development of water supply infrastructure that
already is lagging behind Utah's own population explosion.
In particular, Stewart mentioned the possibility that some
of the money might be set aside for water projects in
eastern Utah's arid Uinta Basin.
It is estimated that Utah uses only three-quarters of annual
entitlement to the Colorado River water supply, or about
900,000 acre feet. This level of usage leaves an estimated
480,000 acre feet of unused water, which theoretically is
held by Lake Powell in southern Utah. Some would argue,
however, that the Colorado River is grossly
overappropriated.
Stewart predicted that any sale to Las Vegas would be
promptly challenged in court by other states within the
basin, principally California. In addition, such a sale
could breed contempt among Utah's neighboring states in the
upper reaches of the basin. Last year, a proposal to create
an "upper basin water bank" received variably negative
reactions by water officials of Wyoming, Colorado, and New
Mexico.
"Their reaction was, 'Not interested. No. Hell, no.'
Depending on the state," said Stewart. There is considerable
fear within Colorado that west-slope interests will sell
their water rights downstream, leaving little for
development in the state's more heavily-populated Front
Range region. In addition, grassroots opposition to Colorado
River water sales runs rampant in Wyoming, and New Mexico
has virtually no surplus of its Colorado River share to
sell.
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming belong to the
upriver segment of the 1992 Colorado River Compact.
Downstream members are Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Return to the U.S. Water News' Archives page
Or
Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
uswatrnews@aol.com