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      From: Stephen Shuput <sshuput@hotmail.com> 
      To: <snakevalley@utah.gov> 
      CC: <sshuput@hotmail.com> 
      Date: Thursday - September 17, 2009 4:06 PM 
      Subject: Snake Valley Water Agreement 





      Dear Mr. Styler,
      I have sent an email with my views to the Governor. I would like to add to 
      them with the following points:

      1) To my knowledge, there is no example anywhere on earth, of water 
      diversion on this scale without devastating consequences to the 
      environment. There are however many examples of horrible failures such as 
      Owens Valley, California and the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. The local 
      environments and peoples were devastated.

      2) An Aquifer is not a "source" of water, it is a resevoir of water. 
      Aquifers take thousands of years to fill and would take thousands of years 
      to replenish. Therefore, the use of water from an Aquifer is only 
      temporary, and when it is either shut off, (which I am not and you should 
      not be naive enough to believe will ever happen, despite an "ironclad" 
      agreement,) due to signs of desertification, or the water runs out, people 
      in Las Vegas will suddenly be without water they have come to depend on. 
      This is not fair to the people of Nevada either. To pay billons of dollars 
      for a temporary fix is just absurd!

      3) I asked deputy State Engineer Boyd Clayton "what is in this agreement 
      for Utah?" He could not think of any benefit to us. I can't either. But 
      someone would benefit, and it is only the developers who will build and 
      sell homes in Las Vegas, based on this agreement, leaving the people of 
      Utah and Nevada with the debts, a worthless pipeline to an empty aquifer 
      and a devastated environment.

      4) Growth, in Las Vegas or Utah is not necessary. We need to focus on 
      taking care of the resources we have for the people who already live here, 
      including the beauty of the environment. More people, more homes, more 
      jobs, even more tax revenue do not mean better living conditions.

      5) If the scientists are correct, that pumping the aquifer will mean 
      drying in the Snake Valley, leading to more particulate matter on the 
      Wasatch Front, leading to even one more death in Utah (because Nevada soil 
      is full of toxic waste, is it worth it? How will you feel if that happens? 
      I would not want to have a part in a decision that leads to that outcome.

      Sincerely, Stephen R Shuput MD
      690 North Caring Cove
      Salt Lake City, Utah

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