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      From: Linda RIES <linda_ries@yahoo.com> 
      To: <snakevalley@utah.gov> 
      Date: Tuesday - September 29, 2009 11:10 PM 
      Subject: Snake Valley Groundwater 




      Dear department of Natural Resources:

      I attended the public meeting on August 18 in Salt Lake City and want to 
      thank the Director of Natural Resources from both Nevada and Utah and 
      their staffs and everyone who worked on  this proposal.  At the hearing I 
      was persuaded that this may be a good compromise for the water 
      distribution of the Snake Valley ground water.

      Since then I have attended other hearings and done more research and 
      looked at the hydraulics of ground water.  While not an expert, it is 
      increasingly apparent that there is no excess water to be shipped anywhere 
      from the Snake Valley without serious and devastating results.  In fact 
      the current uses may already be extracting to much water.  This is a zero 
      sum game, what is taken out for use in agriculture or to water Las Vegas 
      does not go back in to the ground water.  Any withdrawal lowers the water 
      table, which is the water resource for the valley and for other areas as 
      well.  This water is part of an ecosystem that barely maintains itself 
      with current conditions.  ANY removal of water will lower that water table 
      and start the death of various plants, which hold the soils which prevents 
      dust storms and feeds the wildlife and agriculture already present.  

      Once that vegetation dies, dust storms will increase, already polluted air 
      in the Salt Lake valley will become more polluted, and the dust in winter 
      will settle on the snow pack of the Wasatch mountains, causing the melting 
      of this snow pack to be earlier, when it is not needed for agriculture and 
      in wet years increasing the chances of floods.  All of these things are 
      tied together.  You can not change one parameter without affecting all.  
      Surely we know this by now.  

      Las Vegas, nor any city, can not keep growing in a desert area and expect 
      to just pull water from any where because they "need it".   There are 
      limits to growth, especially in the arid southwest, which by most 
      projections will only get drier in the coming decades.  We must take a 
      long term view and realize NOW, that growth must be controlled.  Water 
      must be available before growth is allowed, not found after the people are 
      in place and then stealing it from other users, which includes wild life, 
      forests, Native Americans, etc.  At the informational meeting organized by 
      the Great Basin Water Network on Sept. 9th, I stated these same ideas and 
      reminded those in attendance that Las Vegas was only the first of many 
      areas facing a water shortage due to uncontrolled growth.  While the 
      Wasatch front may have adaquate water now, our time is also coming.  If 
      any area reduces its consumption of water by 50% per person, but the 
      population doubles, they
      are using the same amount of water.  GROWTH CAN NOT CONTINUE FOREVER.  

      Therefore, I must recommend against the adoption of this agreement, 
      especially when there is no directive that any damages from the withdrawal 
      of water by SNWA would cause the water removal to be stopped.  That the 
      water removal may be reduced or stopped is not good enough.  As seen in 
      the Owen's Valley in California, once the water is being piped to the 
      city, there is very little chance it will be turned off due to adverse 
      environmental effects.   

      Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

      Sincerely yours,  

      Don Ries
      663 E. Hollywood Ave
      Salt Lake City, Utah  84105