This basin is slated for a massive master planned community that would be enabled by SNEDCA.
But where will the water come from? How many greenhouse gas emissions will this create? Credit: Kyle Roerink
By Kyle Roerink, Executive Director of the Great Basin Water Network and Toiyabe Chapter Executive Committee member.
Lake Mead keeps dropping. Yet developers are leading the charge to sell off 42,000 acres of public lands in Las Vegas that would be satiated with new water pipelines connected to the Colorado River.
The Toiyabe Chapter's Southern Nevada Group has been leading the effort to stop this outdated and foolish proposal, making phone calls, mailing literature, mobilizing community members and sending a message to federal lawmakers and the Clark County Commission: the people of Clark County don't want sprawl all the way to the California border.
We cannot do this work alone. Have you taken action to help stop this legislative proposal, known as the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act? We call it SNEDCA for short.
Take action now by signing our petition. Volunteer opportunities are also available.
The bill is far more corrosive than the anodyne title implies. It will allow the federal government to sell public lands to private interests. It will also require more water to leave the Colorado River than ever before. You may be asking: Where's the conservation? That's a good question. The bill will designate the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and parts of Lake Mead National Recreation Area as Wilderness. Those already-protected areas, however, are not facing any threats that a new land designation would prevent.
Unfortunately, the greatest threat is climate change, and this bill will only exacerbate the problem –– developing new subdivisions, highways, and shopping malls; generating more emissions from traffic; and increasing water demands.
Las Vegas is one of the fastest-warming cities in the nation, and it’s dependent on a shrinking supply of water. During a summer of fire, drought, and extreme temperatures, businesses and community leaders should be thinking about the future. Instead they have convinced our elected leaders to propose legislation that reflects an outdated business model that has contributed significantly to our current climate challenges.
You can't make this stuff up. But you can take action. Tell the Nevada Congressional Delegation to stop pushing this dangerous legislation, and volunteer to help us spread the word.