By Jennifer Solis, Nevada Current
During the tensions on the future of the Colorado River, Nevada leaders gathered on Thursday to focus on the state’s strategy to meet the climate and drought crisis, which threatened the lake and the Hoor Dam.
The Democratic Reprint Susi Lee, whose district is within half of the Lake Med and Hoover Dam, collected regional water and hydroelectric leaders to highlight the needs of the states during its third annual South Nevada Water Summit in Springs Prizerro.
Before the water pipe from the Colorado River to Las Vegas, the growing community fully relied on the groundwater from Las Vegas Springs located at the place where the protection of the Springs is now sitting.
After the increasing city demand, the water soon dried up. Now Water Manager is working to ensure Lake Med – which provides about 90 % of the city’s water – does not meet the same fate.
The summit comes at a critical time when the states run against the deadline of mid -November to agree on how the river and its reserves should be managed after the current guidelines ended at the end of 2026. If the states cannot reach an agreement before the deadline, the federal government will decide for them and make these decisions.
“The fact is that this is a really harsh combination of talks right now, so we are meeting regularly,” said Colbi Pelgino, deputy general manager of the South Nevada Water Authority.
“A lot of work still needs to be done,” said Pelgino. We are nowhere to the deal. “
Nevertheless, this is an improvement since December when the Lower Basin states – representatives from Nevada, Arizona, and California – and Upper Basin states – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wooming – left a major water summit without talking to each other in Las Vegas.
The upper and lower basin states have widely disputed which section of the basin should reduce its water use, and how much.
Unlike the expected flow and historical agreements, the states come closer to consensus after a proposal for a progress proposal in July to share the waterway based on the original flow of the river. Pelgino said the proposal is still underway.
Pelgino said, “I personally think that pursuing something like this is a really good public policy. It is very accountable for the current situation. It does a decent job of creating some equity between upper basin and lower basin.”
He added, “But we have had a long journey to see if we can agree on the details.”
Due to climate change, the water flows in the Colorado River are shrinking, and the reality of what it means for states depending on the river is getting worse.
Earlier this month, federal officials announced that they would continue to cut water on the Colorado River for the fifth consecutive year, causing a permanent drought that eliminated the lake med.
The height of the lake med is currently about 1,054 feet above sea level – which is considered completely 175 feet below. Based on water storage, 31 % of the reserve capacity.
Nevada is ahead of the game when it comes to the preparation of these shortcomings, Pelgino said.
Nevada gets less than 2 % of the Colorado river water every year, the smallest part of any state in the basin. These boundaries forced Nevada to become a conservation leader.
South Nevada has not used the full allocation of Colorado river water for years. According to the South Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), protection efforts have helped South Nevada use 36 % less water from Lake Med.
Even under the severe shortage of water, the South Nevada Water Authority will be able to reach its part of the river thanks to major infrastructure projects, including the intake 3 – ‘third straw’ – and Lou Lake -level pumping station.
“Our intake and our infrastructure allow us to supply water to the valley, even when water cannot be released from the Hoor Dam,” said Pelgino.
Other water infrastructure projects in Nevada have been financed through the South Nevada Public Land Land Management Act, which allocated 10 % of the revenue from ground sales to the South Nevada Water Authority.
To date, SNPLMA has created more than 8 368 million to fund Nevada’s water preferences and infrastructure requirements. SNWA will take advantage of this funding to support water protection, infrastructure upgrade, long -term drought planning and environmental recovery, Pelgino said.
Additional sources of federal financing have also been an important part in the protection of water on the Colorado River, Li said.
The Congress woman highlighted the inflation act, which includes an investment of $ 4 billion to reduce drought with the Colorado River Basin. He also highlighted the bilateral infrastructure law, providing $ 141 million for water conservation projects in South Nevada, including financing for Las Vegas wash, which has reached millions of gallons of waste water to the lake.
With this funding, California, Arizona and Nevada allow it to collectively reduce the use of water to at least 3 million acre feet at the end of 2026, which has strengthened the lake media for many years.
Another major problem created by a low level of water on the lake med is the loss of hydroelectric productivity. The Hoover Dam produces half the power it has caused by reducing the water level in the lake med in 2000.
If the lake drops further 20 feet, the capacity of the Hoover Dam’s electricity will be reduced by 70 % from its current level.
The breakpoint for hydropower is 1,035 feet. At this level, the 12 old turbines in the hover, which are not designed for low reservoir levels, will be closed. Only five new turbines installed a decade ago will continue to generate electricity.
Colorado River Commission, director of Nevada’s Hydropower Gayle Bits, said the problem was a way to resolve the issue.
Positioning 12 old turbines will also maintain power generation at a lower level, but it will require significant investment.
“We are really reaching the point where they need immediately,” said Bits, Bits said. Bad news costs. Everyone costs about $ 8 million to install them. So it’s a very heavy investment. ”
During the summit, Lee and Sen Catherine Carties Masto said they were working together to advance the Help Hoover Dam Act, which would open a bill from an orphanage account to about $ 50 million in trapped funds for the dam.
These funds were allocated for pension benefits for federal employees, but supporters of the bill say that Congress funds pension benefits from other sources, and if the bureau of reclaimation is given the option to do so, funds can be spent on upgrade.
“The dam is being 100 years old in 2035 and the Bureau of Recolimation is being estimated that it will require about $ 200 million,” said Cortez Mastu.
Nevada Current is part of the Status Newsroom, a non -profit news network that has helped the Grant and Donors coalition support 501C (3) as a public charity. Nevada Current Editorial maintains independence. Contact Editor Hue Jackson for questions: [email protected].
