Las Vegas's Water Shortage

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Summary
Nevada’s population is increasing, in particular Las Vegas’ population, which is causing the water supply to decrease in the state (Brown, n.d.; Larson et al., 2015). Lake Mead provides Colorado River water to Las Vegas and currently Lake Mead’s water level is dropping (Wockner, 2014). This supply makes up 90% of Las Vegas’ water resource (Tracy, 2014). The lowering water level elicits concern over how water will be supplied to Las Vegas, and Nevada as a whole, in the future. Las Vegas sits in a valley, a trough, with sediment layered in the trough from weathered bedrock (Laczniak et al., n.d.). Before groundwater pumping began in the valley discharge occurred primarily through “springs and evapotranspiration” and the estimated natural …show more content…

Groundwater remained the main supply until 1971 which was when Las Vegas became more dependent on Colorado River water due to the “Southern Nevada Water System” (Brown, n.d.; Larsen et al., 2015). Since then up to 90,000 acre-feet of groundwater has been pumped on a yearly basis, this value surpasses the natural groundwater recharge (Laczniak et al., n.d.). Rain as well as snow serves as the primary sources of groundwater recharge for the aquifers while precipitation plays a minor role (Laczniak et al., n.d.). Due to there not being balanced discharge and recharge this has led to subsidence and as a result of this subsidence the storage capacity of aquifers has decreased due to compaction (Laczniak et al., n.d.). It is estimated that 187,000 acre feet of storage capacity in the aquifers has been lost due to compaction (Laczniak et …show more content…

Conflict between residents in northern Nevada and SNWA has risen (Brean, 2015). In 2012 the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its support of SNWA wanting to build a pipeline from rural Nevada to Las Vegas, rural Nevada being primarily in the northern portion of the state (Larsen et al., 2015). Residents including farmers who depend on water for their crops argue that redirecting water supplies would harm the environment and wildlife that inhabit northern Nevada (Brean, 2015). There is also an issue of oversubscription, this is due to the Colorado River not only supplying water to Nevada but neighboring states which include “Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah” (Wockner, 2014). Both Arizona and California are expecting water shortages in the future as they too depend on the Colorado River (Wockner,

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