Salazar Urged to “Strike the Right Balance” at Water Users Conference
Friday, December 17, 2010
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Strike the right balance. That's one message being sent to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today, as he addresses the Colorado River Water Users Conference at Caesar's Palace.
It's a tough job to meet the growing water needs of people and wildlife that depend on the Colorado River, according to Tom Smith, vice president of the Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife. He says Secretary Salazar is up to the task in balancing it all, though.
Smith explains that the demand for Colorado River water goes beyond the needs of any one species, industry or even nation.
"In the face of ever-growing demands for water, we need to know that he is going to insist that our wildlife and our public lands have the water that's needed, and that it's based on scientific management of water."
Experts say the period from 2000 to 2010 has been the driest in more than 100 years for the Colorado River Basin. The Colorado feeds Lake Mead, and is the primary source of drinking water for southern Nevada.
Salazar also has a role to play in helping balance wildlife needs with the municipal needs of places like Lincoln County, which gets its power from Hoover Dam. Mick Lloyd, general manager of Lincoln County Power District #1, makes that point, and says reduced water flow during the winter has forced his county to purchase more expensive power from supplemental sources. He adds that things could get worse.
"We are in a really economically depressed county here. It's a real hardship on, especially, the seniors in Lincoln County. And if our rates doubled at some point in time, it would really hurt our agricultural customers.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor will hold a roundtable with Upper and Lower Colorado River Basin representatives at 9 a.m. That will be followed at 9:45 a.m. by Salazar's keynote address.
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