Application Submitted to BLM

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) was formed in 1991 to address Southern Nevada's water needs on a regional scale.  SNWA is governed by a seven-member agency charged with managing the region's water resources and providing for future water needs. In August, 2004, SNWA submitted the Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project (Project) Right-of-Way Application to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). SNWA's stated purpose of the Project is to:

• Develop and convey water rights that have been purchased by, permitted to, or that may be permitted to SNWA in Spring, Snake, Cave, Dry Lake, and Delamar valleys for use by SNWA's member agencies in Clark County.
• Fulfill contractual obligation to provide capacity for potential future use by the Lincoln County Water District, to transport as yet unspecified water resources to its customers in Lincoln County.

SNWA also submitted materials to the BLM describing their need for the project: their proposal stemmed from their responsibility to address the growing population and associated increasing water demands in the Las Vegas Valley, along with the current reliance on the Colorado River to meet nearly all of southern Nevada's water resource needs.  SNWA is pursuing water conservation and other methods to reduce water demands. SNWA has identified development of in-state groundwater resources as a need to improve the drought tolerance of SNWA's water supply.

In 2006, SNWA submitted its original Plan of Development (POD) to BLM. PODs may be modified and updated as new information becomes available.  SNWA updated the POD in July 2007 and again in December 2008. The link below will take you to SNWA's web page for this project.  To view the POD, click on the "Documents" tab on the left side of the screen and then click on "Conceptual Plan of Development - Dec. 2008".

SNWA Project Website - http://www.snwa.com/html/system_gdp.html

BLM has the responsibility to process applications, through the preparation of an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  For the Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project right-of-way application, an EIS will be prepared.

The right-of-way application was submitted to the BLM Ely District Office, which is the office responsible for managing the majority of the BLM lands where the proposed project would be located.  A portion of the project would also be located or may impact federal lands managed by the BLM Southern Nevada (Las Vegas) District Office and the West Desert (western Utah) District Office.  In late 2005, the BLM Nevada State Director established the Nevada Groundwater Projects Office to facilitate the preparation of the EIS.  Although the Nevada State Office is responsible for preparing the EIS, Nevada Groundwater Projects Office staff coordinate all efforts with the Ely, Southern Nevada, and West Desert district offices.  The BLM Nevada State Director will be the decision-maker.

The right-of-way grant would allow SNWA to construct the conveyance facilities across BLM-managed lands and would be issued under three authorities:

1. Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, 43 U.S.C. §§ 1761-1771, authorizes the grant of rights-of-way over, upon, under, or through Federal public lands by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) for reservoirs, canals, ditches, flumes, laterals, pipes, pipelines, tunnels, and other facilities and systems for the impoundment, storage, transportation, or distribution of water.
2. The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA), Pub. L. No. 105-263; § 4(b)(2), 112 Stat. 2343 (1998), directs the Secretary to issue right-of-way grants on Federal lands in Clark County, Nevada, for all reservoirs, canals, channels, ditches, pipes, pipelines, tunnels, and other facilities and systems needed for the impoundment, storage, treatment, transportation, or distribution of water, in accordance with that Act, FLPMA, and other applicable law. Such right-of-way grants shall be valid in perpetuity and shall not require the payment of rental or cost recovery fees. 
3. The Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004 (LCCRDA), Pub. L. No. 108‑424, § 301, 118 Stat. 2403 (2004) directs the Secretary to grant SNWA rights-of-way necessary for roads, wells, well fields, pipes, pipelines, pump stations, storage facilities, or other facilities and systems necessary for the construction of a water conveyance system in Lincoln and Clark Counties. Such rights-of-way shall be granted in perpetuity and do not require payment of a rental.