Baker, NV – Today the Great Basin Water Network released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining held a hearing on the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act,…

  Last week, New York Times reporter Alan Burdick spoke with GBWN on the non-functional turf ban made possible by AB356 in the Nevada legislative session. The piece highlighted an important point: What are the limits of the Mojave Desert?…

On May 21, 2020, the SNWA “deferred” its Groundwater Development Project AKA the Las Vegas Pipeline. That was the conclusion to a monumental fight over specific water rights applications and a Right of Way application on federal land. That opposition…

After votes in both chambers of the Nevada Legislature, tribal elders and leaders released the following statements after the Senate passage of AB171 and AJR4, legislation to protect the Bahsahwahbee sacred tribal site in rural Nevada. AB171 offers new state-level…

A group of more than 20 stakeholders is investigating the future of adjudicating and reviewing water cases in Nevada. Like most things involving water, there will be an array of opinions on the matter. This spring, the Nevada Supreme Court…

The West Desert Water Grab proposal from Cedar City, Utah is a dark horse riding in the areas that are near and dear to our hearts. The Central Iron County Water Conservancy District (CICWCD) filed applications for water in Pine,…

Late last year, the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index started trading futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This phenomenon has yet to come to Nevada or Utah. But there are efforts to create the type of marketplace that could eventually…

The most controversial and contentious water bill of the Utah legislative session, which ended in March, ramps up the state’s efforts to push back against concerns of the other six Colorado River Compact states about the legality and regional impacts…

The Californiacation of Utah and Nevada’s water is happening right before our eyes. The question is: What are we going to do about it? For the past few weeks, an old Armenian proverb has stuck with me: The water goes. The…

As you are reading this, the Nevada legislative session is nearing an end. Many of our bad bills died a wonderful death. And there was one good surprise. This is unusual for us because we are usually fighting for our…

  We’ve heard it all before: The Colorado River is not in good shape. Drought, climate change, and population booms are draining Lakes Powell and Mead, which currently supply millions of people via the Colorado River. For the last 20…

While proclaiming to be for conservation, two bills will legitimize speculation, create dangerous water markets and make it easier to export water -- all in the name of profit. Water warriors, We need your help. On Monday at 4 PM…

We just wanted to provide a quick update on this historic vote today. Thanks to the groundswell of support from folks like you, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted to move forward AB 171 and AJR4, two bills to help…

On March 15, GBWN Board Member Delaine Spilsbury and Chairman Rupert Steele continued on a journey to do what was once thought impossible. They addressed lawmakers about the need to protect a sacred area in Spring Valley known as the…

YOU CAN 'BANK' ON CONTROVERSY OVER THESE NEW BILLS. This week lawmakers introduced the long-awaited “Water Banking” and “Conservation” bills, AB 354 and AB 356 (respectively). These are GBWN’s top priorities for this session. We are still reviewing the bills. But,…

On Monday at 4 PM in the Nevada Assembly Natural Resources Committee, lawmakers will be making history. There will be two hearings on two bills, AJR4 and AB171, which seek to create new protections for the Swamp Cedars. Lawmakers will…

In the arid west, it is paramount for water users and water advocates to have access to the justice system to defend their interests. Before the legislative session began the Nevada Division of Water Resources released a bill that would…

You may have heard of Blockchains LLC. It wants to build a city 20 miles east of Reno at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center that would be dubbed an “Innovation Zone” in state law. A proposal in the Nevada Legislature…

GBWN, its friends at the Utah Rivers Council and other groups won a major victory after federal officials responded to our demands for an investigation on the proposal to dam the East Fork of the Virgin River. Known as Cove…

Should federal money for famers be spent on a dam in the desert that will serve municipal development? GBWN doesn’t think so. Last week we joined a coalition led by the Utah Rivers Council to help ensure that taxpayer dollars…