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Las Vegas & The Groundwater Development Project (2006) |
 Las Vegas & The Groundwater Development Project
A Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) Report (2006)
By Christina Roessler
Concepts & Design by Bob Schmitt
DownLoad Report — Adobe PDF File Format 
As a whole, the United States is water rich. Even here, however,
rapidly growing urban populations are draining available water
resources. This is especially true in arid regions of the Southwest.
Cities throughout the region are trying to figure out how to meet the
demand for water. This is no easy task, because virtually every drop of
water in the Southwest is being used for something.
Increasingly, cities are eyeing the water in rural areas and are
contemplating large-scale water transfers. Rural has it, urban wants
it, and money and power are largely on the side of the cities. We’re at
a crossroads, and the life of rural America is in the balance. Without
water, rural communities and the farmers and ranchers who grow our food
cannot thrive.
Cities have a choice. They can increase supply, often at the expense of rural communities; they can
decrease demand; or they can do both. In waterscarce areas, there are no easy answers. It ultimately
comes down to who decides, how water is shared, and how to strike the right balance. |