Is the water plan for Las Vegas the right plan?
Thursday, November 8th, 2007This mourning I was reading an article on the Southern Nevada Water Authorities plan to build a pipeline from the interior of the State to Clark County and deliver as many as 400,000 additional homes water. This project would cost an estimated $3.5 billion dollars.
If the source of funding of this project were purely water connection fee’s for new connections then Las Vegas residents could see connection fee’s increase an additional $8,750 each for the 400,000 new residents (based on 200,000 acre feet).
SNWA needs to be working with other states and their ranchers to get more water from the Colorado. No pipeline cost is incurred by using this resource.
The Feds need to re-examine State rights and water distribution and consider its ramifications on the food supply, the environment and human needs rather than just State boarders. The old water and natural resource rules need to be carefully examined and changed as they no longer work for the best interests of the entire country and our environment.
Clark County does not have to suck the balance of this arid State dry. Nevada has enough dust bowls thanks to Mother Nature.
The State of Nevada should be negotiating on behalf and in the best interest of Clark County to find additional shares of Colorado River Water. It should be lobbying for change at the federal level and be striking deals with other States.
What about building desalinization plants in Southern California along the coast. Desalination it is credited with making Dubai possible, why wouldn’t it work in Southern California This would reduce the need for Colorado River water freeing further resources for Clark County. Should SNWA be subsidizing desalinization plants along the shores of Southern California in exchange for additional Colorado River water rights? Would it be cheaper and make more sense to add additional water to the arid West or to just drill holes and suck it dry?
If global warming is in our future we need to look at redistributing our resources and not just on a State basis or a National basis but on a World scale.
Perhaps we could even expand our conservation right down to your personal homes. A few changes by Congress could put this Nation well on its way to a better environment. If Congress would pass legislation that would mandate Appraisers to increase the value of homes by the reasonable cost of renewable energy and energy conservation systems installed in the home as well as provide that mortgage companies calculate the energy savings and allow for the difference to be added to the mortgage payment. This sort of effort would immediately spur the average homeowner and the whole contractor industry to start retro fitting homes with solar voltaic panels, on demand water heating units, water conservation systems, energy efficient appliances, energy efficient lighting systems, better insulation, attic fans, upgraded efficient window systems, energy efficient air-conditioning systems.
The bottom line is that we need to make conservation not only cool and responsible but we also need to provide ways that the average citizen can afford to conserve. What better way than to take the dollars from Joe Citizens energy bill savings and put it dollar for dollar into his mortgage payment in a direct dollar for dollar exchange. This would allow Joe Citizen to make his contribution to the environment and conserve our resources without shelling out $40,000 from his pocket with no guarantee he will get it back when he sells his home.
Senator Reid, please get off your soap box and start doing something about developing Nevada’s renewable energy resources. Nevada needs your help, not just your rhetoric. Nevada needs a leader as does this Nation to do something about energy conservation and development. We need to become energy self sufficient so that we can quit dictating foreign policy for oil, which has resulted in us sending our wonderful youth to die so that we can fill our tanks. Much of the world hates the United States because of our strong handed tactics in manipulating foreign governments. Aren’t we smart enough to change when we see things aren’t working?
We need to change our Country and quit trying to change the world to fit our needs.
For the Latest in Las Vegas real estate call Max at 702-334-2200. Or email me at:Max@MaxSellsVegas. com. Your comments and questions are welcome.
