[Buzz123]

Notice nobody says, "It's the growth stupid." As soon as this economic crisis is over we'll go right back to uncontrolled growth. They never talk about slowing or stopping it, so it makes me doubt anyone is serious about a possible water shortage. As far as golf courses, I doubt we could give them up being the resort community we are. No sense killing the Golden Goose. Don't they use gray water on golf courses now? I know some of them do, like Muni for instance. And the Bellagio has it's own waste water treatment plant and they reuse water for landscaping. I don't know about "Lake Cuomo" though.

[radraja]

The growth here has slowed down significantly more than in other places though. Nevada only ranked #8 for growth this past year, when it usually ranks #1 or #2. Other states like Texas, Utah, and Arizona are remaining hot territory and maintaining the same growth rates as they had prior to the recession, while Nevada is really slowing down and has been since about '05 (which is even before the economy went bad).

Besides, our valley is pretty small. We only have so much time before we run out of room to build. Really, I have a feeling that we have to worry more about Arizona. They have more potential to grow out of control than we do.

(NOTE: I'm not defending high growth or anything. I'm actually thrilled that Nevada has slowed down. I'm just saying - we're definitely not the state to worry about here.)

[uli2000]

Originally Posted by radraja

Ehh. I read another study that said that we actually have enough water stored to last over 100 years. Plus, we're planning on piping in water from northern Nevada, so that will help too.

Yeah, piping water from an ancient aquifier that will never be able to replenish is a great idea. For the 3 billion it will cost, the SNWA could build enough desalitation plants to trade California for almost all of their Colorado river rights, giving Souther Nevada more than enough water. Maybe LV needs to concentrate on sustainable growth.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by uli2000

Yeah, piping water from an ancient aquifier that will never be able to replenish is a great idea. For the 3 billion it will cost, the SNWA could build enough desalitation plants to trade California for almost all of their Colorado river rights, giving Souther Nevada more than enough water. Maybe LV needs to concentrate on sustainable growth.

Much more complicated than that. And there is little question that there is substatial renewable water available from upstate. The question is not the availablity but the use of it away from the source. And how much may safely be used.

To obtain water from California you will have to get California to agree. The chances of that are right up there with hell frozen over.

The rights of California are many times that of Nevada. 5% or so of the CA water would do us. But even that is unlikely

Mexico might go for it. Then the people of Nevada end up building desalinization plants in Baja. Should be a fun sale even for Ms Mulroy.

[airics]

Originally Posted by radraja

The growth here has slowed down significantly more than in other places though. Nevada only ranked #8 for growth this past year, when it usually ranks #1 or #2.

yep, everyone's moving to cleveland!

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by geos

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/us/13mead.html?_r=1

Lake Mead Could Be Within a Few Years of Going Dry, Study Finds

By FELICITY BARRINGER
Published: February 13, 2008

Lake Mead, the vast reservoir for the Colorado River water that sustains the fast-growing cities of Phoenix and Las Vegas, could lose water faster than previously thought and run dry within 13 years, according to a new study by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Nothin' new here...the fifth Chinese brother could swallow the sea!

[goldwingin]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Nothin' new here...the fifth Chinese brother could swallow the sea!

That was a great book..... I say it will overflow (spillway wise) before it goes dry.... Lived here in Boulder City since Dec 17 (snowstorm day) and LOVE it!!

goldwingin

[jfkIII]

btw...and this is truth...on the most recent space mission that took place, NASA was successful in recycling Astronaut-spent urine into fresh drinking water, which the Astronauts then swallowed. And when NASA spends big dollars on stuff like that, it is usually intended for some Earthly application. So, don't worry about the future drinking water.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

btw...and this is truth...on the most recent space mission that took place, NASA was successful in recycling Astronaut-spent urine into fresh drinking water, which the Astronauts then swallowed. And when NASA spends big dollars on stuff like that, it is usually intended for some Earthly application. So, don't worry about the future drinking water.

Actually Vegas does that now. But instead of drinking it ourselves we send it on th California and let them do it.

[Tanque Verde]

What happened was that in 1922 when (the states) went through those negotiations, they used the 50 highest flow years ever recorded on the Colorado River to determine what the average flow was. That was a mistake.


Oops.