Apr. 01, 2009

Nat'l Park Service other agencies say they won't sign stipulated agreement with SNWA

The Millard County Chronicle published on March 31 reported that all the Department of Interior Agencies, the NPS, BLM, USFWS, and BIA, will not enter into a stipulated agreement with the SNWA and drop their protests of SNWA's applications to pump 16 billion gallons of water per year from Snake Valley in NV and UT for export to support growth in S. Nevada.

However it also reports that the delay in the hearing requested by SNWA could allow for additional negotiations and a possible agreement.

"Dr. Diana Weigman, coordinator for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) for the underground water project, said from her office in Las Vegas this would likely change the recent move by the Department of the Interior to allow its agencies to participate in the upcoming hearings. The DOI had decided this week not to enter into a stipulated agreement with SNWA."

Previously the DOI signed agreements and dropped protests to groundwater pumping in Spring and Cave, Delamar, and Dry Lake Valleys. The "stipulated agreements" are widely panned as being ineffective to control harmful groundwater pumping since SNWA isn't required to change their operations based on problems identified by the federal government.

Dean Draper's article in the Chronical concludes:

Millard County is the only Utah governmental entity recognized by the state of Nevada in the upcoming water hearings. Those hearings will determine if SNWA will be allowed to pump water from the Nevada side of the Snake Valley or not. Millard County filed a protest in 1989 against the proposed groundwater exportation project. Commissioners have been actively opposing the project since it began to become a reality several years ago.

Utah Association of Counties’ attorney J. Mark Ward who represents Millard County in protesting groundwater withdrawal for use in the Las Vegas area said, “A key factor in the DOI decision is the refusal of the tribes to support a stipulated agreement. Their involvement is partially a result of the efforts made by former Millard County Commissioner John Cooper to reach out to the tribes and seek their support in this matter over a year ago.”

West desert residents are already analyzing these most recent developments in the contest for the rights to the life blood of the West. “The announcement of no stipulated agreement is wonderful news. It is evidence that the case the government agencies, along with the case we have in Snake Valley, have a good chance of keeping the project out of Snake Valley. I believe it says the SNWA model isn’t working the way they want it to,” said Gary Perea, White Pine County Commissioner.

http://greatbasinwaternetwork.org