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Utah water is far too precious for the state to rush into an agreement with Nevada that would potentially give our thirsty neighbors to the west access to Utah's portion of an aquifer that underlies Western Utah.
As reported on the Eyewitness News, a document accidentally disclosed on the Internet shows the agreement with Nevada is on a very fast track. It actually includes language suggesting the agreement will be signed September 5 in Baker, Nevada.
That would be long before scientific studies can definitively determine how much water is actually available in the Snake Valley aquifer and what the impact would be on the fragile desert ecosystem of siphoning off tens of thousands of acre feet to Las Vegas.
KSL finds little comfort in the fact state water officials describe the document merely as an "initial draft" of a potential agreement. And we worry when they contend an agreement can be written in such a way to prevent Nevada from getting Utah water if future studies show there isn't as much water as they think.
Frankly, what's the rush, unless a political quid pro quo is driving the decision! If, indeed, that's the case, Utahns should be wary of their leaders dealing a commodity as vital as water for some perceived political expediency.
