Here's something written by a Southern Nevada Water Authority official recently on a forum I am on that yields some relevant information about what Vegas and the rest of southern Nevada do with the water they're apportioned.
Quote:
Las Vegas so far has removed considerable turf through a turf removal program where a portion of the water from water bill is spent on conservation efforts, like a rebate for turf removal, we had a rebate for pool covers that reduce evaporation by 90% but that may have ended due to limited participation. We're now addressing "non-functional turf" the grass in medians and corporate landscaping that is 100% ornamental, We're working on efforts to improve water efficiency in the number two consumptive use which is commercial air conditioning. I think it passed where no Colorado river water will be allowed to be used for irrigation on any new golf courses, so if builders want to make another one they'll have to buy groundwater rights which are basically locked at the current amount for the basin.
Las Vegas has also managed to stretch the water budget by employing a watering schedule that changes with the seasons, one day a week during the winter, three days a week spring and fall, and 6 days a week in the summer, no water on Sundays, that measure coupled with awareness has been huge on the conservation front, with the current situation we're also stepping up efforts to curtail water waste with mechanisms in place to alert people if their irrigation equipment is broken or spraying on the street, first few instances are purely notifications, any kind of fine comes later.
Las Vegas gets about 10% of their water from groundwater and a network of municipal wells that supply is based on perennial yield of basin which is set at the amount for natural recharge. Las Vegas also has about a year's worth of water stored in the ground, and two or three years worth of water stored in the ground in Arizona. The water banked in Las Vegas can be accessed through municipal wells that have the capacity to withdraw two or three times the current amount so we could supply 20 to 25% of Vegas's needs from wells alone, and if we decide to draw on the Arizona banked water then Arizona takes that water from the ground where it was banked and we take our portion from Lake Mead.
Las Vegas also recently finished an intake and low lake level pump station that allows Vegas access to the Colorado even if the lake reaches "Dead Pool" or the 850ft elevation where no water can get out through the dam. At that elevation the storage alone is equal to 10 years of Las Vegas's supply and Arizona and California's intakes are all downstream of the dam.
Las Vegas has also entered an agreement to partially fund a direct potable reuse plant in southern California (doesn't require blessing from the coastal coalition) the capacity we subsidized in that plant is done in exchange for a portion of California's Colorado river allocation Looks like 25-30,000 acre ft
If ti ever gets close to dead pool on Lake Mead, i'm sure at that point there will be a lot of push for re-allocation but until that time Las Vegas is on the mutherf*cker to make sure needs are met.
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ellice_island_kid wrote:
I am only in my 20s but someday I will fly it at airshows. I am getting rich really fast writing software and so I can afford to do really stupid things like put all my money into warbirds.
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