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Water in Pahrump drying up, part II
by Tom Buqo with Doug McMurdo
PAHRUMP- In last week's edition, the Pahrump Valley
Gazette informed readers of a potentially "bleak" water supply
forecast for Pahrump and southern Nye. This forecast was
prepared over a sir month period by respected consulting
hydrogeologist Thomas Buqo. Several readers have voiced
objection to Buqo's findings. The most common complaint
focuses on the aquifer underneath Pahrum F It seems a no'th
has rooted itself as fact over a pe#iod of several decades. While
it is true a large aquifer lies beneath the ground, very little is
actually known about it. Except it is not a bottomless well. hi
this edition, Mr. Buqo discusses four alternatives for future
water supplies in the Pahrump
Valley, including development
of the above-referenced car-
bonate aquifer. Other options
suggested by Buqo are man-
aged overdraft of the basin;
" importation ofwaterfromother
basins; administrative actions
and a combination of all four.
"The fight .for the last
wate rhole" is about to become
engaged. In the face of
Pahrump's relentless growth
and the well-documented his-
to O ' of water shortages in Got water.'?
southern Nevada, it is impera-
tive citizens are fully informed of the realities ofjnding a viable,
safe water source for southern Nye now and # the future.
Given the projected future population of Pahrump and the
associated water demand, the alternatives for meeting this
demand are limited. The alternatives that have been identified
(referenced above) are as follows:
Managed Overdraft
If additional water supplies cannot be obtained, then
Pahrump will have to rely solely on the water resources of
Pahrump Valley. Given existing water use already exceeds the
perennial yield (annual recharge) and large-scale development
is continuing, overdraft oftbe basin is expected to increase with
time. Based upon the census and water demand projections
discussed last week, groundwater withdrawals will exceed
30,000 acre feet per year by about 2010. At that time, problems
with declining well yields, subsidence, and water quality are
likely to begin. Under the best case scenario, this level of
overdraft is not expected to begin until about 2040.
To mitigate these problems, the distribution of supply
wells in the basin will need to be optimized. Pumpage from
areas prone to subsidence could be reduced in favor of wells
located l'dgher on the alluvial fan of the Spring Mountains.
Recharge wells could be used during offpeak months to stabilize
water levels in some areas. Decreased water quality could be
mitigated either through treatment or through the mixing of
water from various sources to meet chemical standards.
One oftbe problems that hampers effective management of
the groundwater resources of Pahrump is the lack of a commu-
nity-wide water utility. None of the public water supply sys-
tems have the resources to solve the future supply problems of
the community; each system is concerned only with meeting its
- own more limited demands. Likewise, domestic well owners
ha,e little incentive for working toward a long-term solution
until their wells actually go dry. Another problem that hampers
water resource management is the public perception the water
resources of the basin are unlimited. Some landowners or their
agents that are anxious to sell land have a tendency to overstate
the resources that are available. The public needs to be educated
the water supplies are not unlimited and a serious water supply
problem cannot be avoided without the cooperation of all water
users in the community.
Development of the Carbonate Aquifer - The carbonate
aquifer underlying Pahrump Valley has the potential for supple-
menting the water resources available to the community. Very
little is known about this aquifer in southern Nye County, but
it has been proven to be very productive in areas of northern
Clark County. There are favorable carbonate rocks and geo-
logic structures in the vicinity of Pahrump. These features
suggest productive water supply wells might be drilled into this
water source. The U.S. Geologic Survey, in their 1976 study of
the basin, concluded groundwater withdrawals from the allu-
vial aquifer would not intercept an appreciable amount of the
groundwater that currently discharges out of the basin into
California. In fact, their modelling results indicate pumping in
1976 captured only 200 acre feet of the 18,000 acre feet that
discharge out of the basin each
year. It may be possible to
intercept a much greater quan-
tity of this discharge by care-
fully managed groundwater
withdrawals from the carbon-
ate aquifer.
To develop the carbonate
aquifer, water rights would
have to be obtained and ex-
ploration and testing would
need to be done to determine
the yield potential of the aqui-
fer and the best locations lor
Photo supply wells. The locations of
wells should be selected to
maximize the capture of discharge out of the basin and well
yields while minimizing overall production costs. Several
production water wells, one or more storage tanks, and miles of
pipeline would then have to be constructed to convey the water
to the developed areas of Pahrump.
The actual quantity of groundwater that discharges out of
Pahrump Valley via the carbonate aquifer is not known and it
may be appreciably more than the 18,000 acre feet estimated by
previous studies. The quantity is not unlimited, however, and
even under the most optimistic scenarios, the combined yield
from this aquifer and the alluvial aquifer cannot be expected to
meet the long-term demand of the community.
Water importation
The water supplies of Pahrump Valley could be supple-
mented with water from other basins in the region. The alter-
natives e rather limited, however, for this option. It can be
safely assumed that no additional water can be obtained from
the east from either Las Vegas Valley or Mesquite (Sandy)
Valley. To the north, the future availability of water will be
....
determined by water use on
the Nevada Test Site. Cur-
rently unused water in Mer-
cury Valley and Rock Valley
could be developed and con-
veyed to Pahrump.
Unused water in
Amargosa Valley could also
be developed and conveyed
to Pahrump. As noted in the
section on Amargosa Valley,
actual water use in the basin is
less than the perennial yield.
If water rights can be obtained
in this basin, then supplemen-
tal water supplies could be
developed ( if current plans of
American Resources, Inc. for
a 10,000 unit retirement com-
munity with six golf courses
located in Amargosa Valley
aren't developed. All other
basins clOse enough to cost-
effectively convey water to
751-3541
Pahrump,gadley Gazat,hursday, February q 3; t997 3
Pahrump are owned by the federal government. Water rights
cannot be obtabled).
Administrative actions and combined alternatives
Buqo s suggested administrative actions are likely sound.
It is more likely they will be met with staunch resistance from
Pahrumpian's for they touch on conservation programs with
penalties for water wasters. Buqo points out these programs
have been successful elsewhere in Nevada. There is dispute
rating that success with many opponents calling these efforts
"rat on your neighbor" laws.
Buqo's second proposed action is even less inviting than
conservation programs. Buqo suggests "zoning that increases
the residential density can decrease the overall demand for
water." As a last resort, Buqo suggests imposing a moratorium
on new development or increasing water rates, conceding such
measures are seldom popular and may have severe political
ramifications.
Of Buqo's ten conclusions, two seem to be the most
important for Pahrump's leaders to analyze: "Water planning
and the implementation of conservation techniques i n Pahrump
are hampered by the lack of a single, community wide water
supply system. The uncontrolled drilling of hundreds of new
domestic wells each year and public perceptioq that the water
resources of the valley are unlimited also hamper effective
water resources management and planning" and "Projected
long-term water demands will probably have to be met in part
with water imported to Pahrump Valley from other basins in
Nye County. The only reasonable alternative may be to restrict
future growth to a level compatible with existing water supplies
in the basin."
The Pahrump Valley Gazette continues to research this
issue attd will update the communities affected, including the
differing water supply opinions generated within the scientific
community.
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