Snake Valley is noted for a
water project involving the
Las Vegas Valley, that would target the underlying
Basin and Range Carbonate Aquifer, an
aquifer that supplies local agriculture and is a relatively large source of water for this region. Though Snake Valley and the surrounding area is arid and part of the
Great Basin Desert, the (relatively) high ranges like the
Snake Range,
Deep Creek Mountains, and the
Schell Creek Range allow a large snowpack that recharges the regional aquifer. This 'additional' water manifests itself in the many springs, wetlands, and lakes that make Snake Valley surprisingly lush. Thus, Snake Valley has long been a target of wildlife and farmers, with at least one farm (Dearden Ranch in
Burbank, Utah) in continual operation since the 1880s. The water development project is proposed by the
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), the water authority that services the Las Vegas area. In the proposal, a pipeline would be built from Snake Valley (and
Spring Valley) to supply pumped
groundwater to be used as municipal water for the
Clark County, Nevada region, with amounts ranging up to per year. Local ranchers and environmentalists have objected to this removal of water from local aquifers, comparing the situation to
Owens Valley, California and noting local drawdowns and springs drying up allegedly, but indeterminably, from local agricultural pumping, like at Needle Point Springs. Enhanced demand on the water from locals and enhanced hydrogeologic monitoring have occurred as a result of this proposal, including the
USGS's BARCASS study and the Utah Geological Survey's Snake Valley Groundwater Monitoring Program. Both studies have generally concluded that precipitation in the high mountains of the area are the source of the far away but anomalously large springs at
Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. Others support the system, noting the importance of the growth and sustainability of the Las Vegas Valley. The largest advocate for the pipeline has been SNWA General Manager
Patricia Mulroy. Mulroy has continuously claimed that this water source must be tapped to keep Las Vegas running. Others agree, and have used
New York City as an example of proper water management. New York has relied on water from the
Catskills and
Hudson Valley region for more than a century, and due to proper management, these ecosystems continue to flourish, despite the allocation of the water in the Catskills and Hudson Valley. ==References==