Nevada's efforts to get more Colorado River water from Arizona and Utah will be expensive and could lead to higher water rates to pay for it, a top water official said Tuesday.
But Richard Bunker, vice chairman of the Colorado River Commission, told lawmakers that the commission shouldn't be the body recommending any rate hike.Bunker said legislation is being drafted to transfer most of the commission's power - including proposals to increase rates - to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Bunker said the transfer of powers would be in the public's best interest because the commission and its appointed members shouldn't make recommendations to raise rates for southern Nevada.
It would be better to shift that power to the SNWA whose members are elected by Clark County voters, he said, adding that SNWA supports the transfer and the legislation should be ready for introduction in about two or three weeks.
Utah officials have announced their willingness to lease water to Las Vegas for 50 years at $20 million a year, and Bunker said that could mean "there is going to be major contractual obligation" to bring the water in from Utah.
In addition, Arizona is considering an agreement under which Nevada could use 60,000 acre-feet annually of Arizona's water supply. An acre-foot meets the needs of a household of four for a year.
Besides Arizona and Utah, Nevada water officials also are holding talks with California to work on ways to save and trade water. And all three states are meeting with Indian tribes with claims to river water.
"We are very optimistic in the long term to bring more water to southern Nevada," Bunker said.
There's growing consensus among Nevada water officials that change is needed in laws written in 1928 governing how water from the Colorado River is divided among seven river basin states.
For example, California receives more than 4 million acre-feet of water each year, but Nevada gets only 300,000 acre-feet annually even though the state is growing more rapidly than any other state.
Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, said he hopes that southern Nevada satisfies its water needs through purchase agreements with other states.
"If we fail, (southern Nevada) will come after our water in northern Nevada," Rhoads said.