Las Vegas Water Issues Haley Moon

Northern California Geology Fall 2013

Road Map

Introduction

Where does the water come from?

Las Vegas water issues

What the strip contributes

Water Pipelines

Water conservation

Las Vegas resides in the middle of the desert and has encountered many water issues over time. One of the most important and arguably the most detrimental is the issue of drought. Due to lack of water, high volumes of consumption, citizens of Las Vegas and the surrounding areas are constantly at risk of losing their fresh water. Las Vegas has gone to great lengths to conserve water and stretch the liquidation they have. Many have questioned the Las Vegas Strip’s water usage, but the tourism and the economic affect of the visitors accounts for significant funding for the state of Nevada. Because of economic and population growth, Las Vegas is being forced to seek out water through new resources or faces federal water restrictions. Water officials however, say that conservation will not solve all looming issues. The question is this: how will Las Vegas flow out of this drought?

Where Does LV Receive Water?

The state of Nevada is allocated 300,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River annually, which is only 2% of the river’s output

This measurement was designated by President Hoover in 1922 when the population was 4 thousand, and Las Vegas’ current population is 2 million people

The Las Vegas area receives 90% of their water from the CO River reservoir in Lake Mead

Lake Mead• Lake Mead has a storage capacity of 24 million-acre-feet • The water in Lake Mead is obtained from the Colorado River • Nevada is allotted 300,000 acre-feet of water annually. Las

Vegas uses over 500,000 acre-feet of water annually. Thus, Nevada's Colorado River allotment is consumed entirely by Las Vegas.

• Lake Mead is currently at 1106 ft. When it reaches 1075 ft, all of Nevada will be forced to cut their water usages by 4%

• Lake Mead dropped 125 feet between 2000-2010• Scientists say there is a 50% chance of Lake Mead being

completely dry by 2021• Lake Mead has two straws in the Colorado River (where they

obtain water from)

Water Issues Las Vegas is the fastest growing metropolitan area In the US

with a population of 2 million people with 36 million annual visitors

In 2005, the water supply ran out for the first time

Las Vegas uses between 2 and 3 times the amount of water per person per day compared to other cities of its size.

92% of Las Vegas’ water is used by residential homes

Scientists predict devastating effects from global warming on the water supply. “They really all see, as do most scientists, the fact that we’re not really in a period of drought. It’s climate change.” – Dr. Stephen Parker, UNLV Thus, these water issues may not be strictly conservation issues

Pipelines to Hydration Las Vegas needs 200,000 acre-feet more water than allotted from the

CO River.

A proposed solution is an underground pipeline 300 miles away to basins in Baker, Ca. that flow into Lake Mead

Currently, the Southern Nevada Water Association is trying to secure access to these basins and purchase the farms that are dependent on the basins.

Residents and farm owners in Baker are opposed to these purchases for reasons ranging from the effects the pipeline will have on wildlife, residential life, fishing conditions, to tourism and aesthetic value

Pat Mulroy, the SNWA General Manager states, “This pipeline is critical to the survival of Las Vegas.”

Las Vegas will not cease its population growth and the extra water is not longer a luxury, but a necessity.

Las Vegas Strip Many people question the large amounts of water occupying various hotels

and attractions on the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas is an entertainment capital that has gone to great lengths to become more efficient hydraulically.

The attractions on the Strip use recycled water. The total water used, including water evaporation only uses 8% of the entire counties water supply

The water is used in pools and various water shows that attract over 38 million tourists each year. The strip accounts for 70% of the entire state of Nevada’s gross product

The Strip has also removed hundreds of acres of turn requiring water with faux turf or desert landscaping, cutting down on their already low water consumption

Without the visitation the strip gets, the state of Nevada would not survive according to Richard Bunker, CO River Commissioner

The water used on the strip would not bring in the revenue it does if it were focused on crops such as alfalfa and other crops.

In conclusion, Nevada cannot afford to NOT water the strip

Conservation Efforts

• While the water issues Las Vegas faces may not be 100% manageable by conservation, they certainly will not hurt.

• Doug Bennet, a conservation manager for the SNWA has implemented an incentive program for those who practice residential water conservation

• Las Vegas residents must follow a lawn watering schedule and are encouraged to eliminate grass and other plants and replace their lawns with desert landscaping.

• The county has hired patrol agents to check for water waste in residential neighborhoods

• Las Vegas has started a water treatment program that drips water back into Lake Mead for return flow credit.

• “There is more that can be done in conservation if they want to do it. But it’s not the gold or silver bullet that will solve our problems.” – Richard Bunker