Thursday, November 1, 2012

Millard County: Snake Valley deal ‘forfeits’ Utah water

A proposed Snake Valley water agreement between Utah and Nevada would give the Silver State a 7-1 advantage in claiming unallocated groundwater, according to the Millard County Commission. The proposed deal for west desert groundwater has been a source of contention between Utah and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) since a proposed agreement was reached in 2009.

Under pressure from various Utah opponents, Herbert has yet to sign. Earlier, an independent panel of water attorneys appointed by Herbert reported the Snake Valley Water agreement with Nevada would be an "equitable" deal for Utah. SNWA wants to move forward with a $15.5 billion pipeline proposal to pump water from desert aquifers for transfer to Las Vegas. Salt Lake Tribune