nevada Archives

Drought-Stricken Nevada Enacts Ban on ‘Non-Functional’ Grass

June 8, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /AP Newsby Sam Metz

In Sin City, one thing that will soon become unforgivable is useless grass. A new Nevada law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that’s drying up the region’s primary water source: the Colorado River. Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. Steve Sisolak makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass.

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Microplastics are Everywhere. A Nevada Researcher Wants to Know How they Spread

May 13, 2021/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Nevada Independentby Daniel Rothberg

Tiny specks of degraded plastics have been documented in the snowpack around Lake Tahoe — and in the lake itself. They have been found in the Las Vegas Wash. The phenomenon is not unique to Nevada. Microplastics, the end product of our plastic consumption, have been found in ecosystems across the world, even in remote areas.

Microplastics are small — less than 5 millimeters — but they are not uniform. They can have different shapes and vary in size. Microplastics from clothing can appear as synthetic fibers, whereas degraded plastic from bags or water bottles might take on a different composition.

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Three States, One River and Too Many Straws

April 20, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Western FarmPress by Todd Fitchette

As drought deepens across the West, California’s decision to limit State Water Project (SWP) deliveries to 5% forced Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to increase pumping from the Colorado River near Lake Havasu. The good news: there’s water behind Hoover Dam for them to use. The bad news: As MWD draws on what they call “intentionally created surplus” under a previous agreement, Lake Mead will fall below the threshold for Tier 1 restrictions, leading to a curtailment of water deliveries to Arizona farmers.

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Southern Nevada Can’t Afford to Get Complacent About Water Conservation

February 4, 2021/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Las Vegas Sun

For years, Southern Nevadans have watched the water level in Lake Mead inch downward and wondered how long we could avoid the federally mandated rationing that kicks in when the lake elevation hits certain thresholds.

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Opinion: Will Others Follow SNWA’s Lead on Conservation?

December 3, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Las Vegas Sunby Kyle Roerink

Water conservation isn’t cheap. But it’s not as pricey as 300-mile pipelines and water grabs.

Last week, the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s board passed its 2020 Water Resource Plan — a blueprint detailing the water purveyor’s estimates for supply and demand in a world with a declining Colorado River, spiking temperatures and increasing populations.

The SNWA also approved a rate increase that will likely result in about a $10 hike in residential water bills by 2026 in order to pay for current and future projects.

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2020 Delivers Setbacks For Some Long-Planned Western Water Projects

November 10, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /KUNC Coloradoby Luke Runyon

2020 has been a tough year for some of the Colorado River basin’s long-planned, most controversial water projects.

Proposals to divert water in New Mexico, Nevada and Utah have run up against significant legal, financial and political roadblocks this year. But while environmental groups have cheered the setbacks, it’s still unclear whether these projects have truly hit dead ends or are simply waiting in the wings.

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In Correcting Misappropriation of Water State Must Balance Legal Rights with Existing Use

October 6, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Nevada Independent by Daniel Rothberg

The situation playing out along the Muddy River is not unique across the Southwest and in the Colorado River Basin. As climate change and overuse reduce water supplies, the gap between “paper water” (the legal right to use water) and “actual water” (what’s available) is widening.

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Nevada Residents Blast Utah’s Lake Powell Pipeline Plan

August 31, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AP News

A group of residents in a southern Nevada town that sits along the Colorado River are organizing a campaign to oppose a proposed pipeline that would divert billions of gallons of river water to southwest Utah, reflecting intensifying struggles over water in the U.S. West.

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‘The Pie Keeps Shrinking’: Lake Mead’s Low Level Will Trigger Water Cutbacks for Arizona, Nevada

August 17, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Republicby Ian James

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again receive less water from the Colorado River next year under a set of agreements intended to help boost the level of Lake Mead, which now stands at just 40% of its full capacity.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation released projections on Friday showing that Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, will be at levels next year that continue to trigger moderate cutbacks in the two U.S. states and Mexico.

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CA-NV AWWA, CWEA Finalize Advanced Water Treatment Operator Certification Program

August 6, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Water Online Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

After four years of work, the Advanced Water Treatment Operator certification program is now complete and launched by the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association and the California Water Environment Association. The exam for the highest-grade level, known as AWT5, launched on July 15^th, completing the planned roll-out of exams on-budget and on a fast-tracked schedule.

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