Print View



      From: Care Atkinson <antlersoutwest@yahoo.com> 
      To: <snakevalley@utah.gov>, <etters@sltrib.com> 
      Date: Monday - September 28, 2009 8:08 AM 
      Subject: Snake Valley Water 




                                                                                 
                                                      9/25/09

      Snake Valley Water
          Las Vegas quest for the water under Snake Valley in Utah's west desert 
      will be disastrous. A fragile ecosystem will be destroyed. What will 
      happen when agriculture is gone in the many small communities? Will the 
      water at Fish Springs National Bird Refuge disappear? We put the Goshute 
      Indian Nation on a reservation in this area over a hundred years ago. 
      Imagine the white mans greed, to take this land once again from the people 
      who this belongs. 

         Utah's water authority Mike Styler and Nevada's Allen Biaggi have got 
      to acknowledge more public involvement on this matter. How can these two 
      guys decide who gets what? Stewards of these lands should determine what 
      happens here, not the bureaucracy of political involvement. If we let 
      Nevada take what they want, Utah's portion will be worthless. Allowing 
      Nevada to pump water out of this aquifer will cause the water table to 
      drop. Anyone can see that when you suck on a straw your beverage level 
      drops.

         How do these water engineers know how many acre feet of water is under 
      this valley? Do they really think this plan will not have any effect to 
      this valley and other surrounding valleys? How are they going to monitor 
      the water table when nobody know where the water is? Can Nevada's water 
      authority really think that they can file a water claim in 1989 and take 
      water away from someone else with an earlier claim. The water in this 
      aquifer must stay in this aquifer.

         I have grazed sheep in the winter on permits allowed by the Bureau of 
      Land Management. I know first hand how delicate the balance is to the 
      plants and animals here who rely on this water. Bands of wild horses roam 
      this land. To survive they need a drink of water. Young colts are taught 
      by their mothers where these small springs and water seeps are. All 
      wildlife depends on the very limited supply of water out there. The 
      friends of all animals should take a stand here. We need to do the right 
      thing and protect the little water that they have now. 
       
       Lets be an advocate for this planet and stop this pipeline to fill Las 
      Vegas fountains. We need to take front row seats on this issue because of 
      so many unanswered questions.

      David Bone
      Oakley, Utah