Water Wars In The New West

Las Vegas, the driest metro region in the U.S., needs water as it grows rapidly. Where is it going to come from?

1 minute read

March 12, 2007, 10:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"Battles over water in the West are always about something more. At their most elemental, they are about survival....The struggle pits a neon-lighted big city against scrub-crusted cattle country...At the time, Las Vegas was little more than a dusty railroad stop, so Nevada received the smallest river share in the lower basin. It is on that comparatively meager portion that the Las Vegas Valley relies for 90% of its water...Colorado River politics have been compared to those of the Middle East, but without the guns...Las Vegas receives an average of 4 inches of rain annually, making it the driest metropolitan area in the country. But rather than embrace the desert, the city famously lured visitors and residents with a fantasy land of golf courses, casino fountains and sprawling pool complexes."

FULL STORY: Las Vegas looks north to slake its thirst

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 in The Los Angeles Times

Environment Infrastructure Nevada

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