Vol. 5, No. 9
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March 1, 2008
Nevada's Online State News Journal-- Serving Informed Nevadans Since 2003
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Find Out
More About Our Wonderful State. |
COPYWRITING
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Coyote Springs Water
Project Continues
Final Environmental Statement
Can Be Viewed By Public
Plans to bring up to 5,000 acre feet of water from Kane Springs to the Harvey Whittemore planned community called Coyote Springs are continuing according to the latest news from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM will accept written comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for 30 days following the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency Notice of Availability in the Federal Register which published concurrently with BLM's notice on Feb. 8. Copies of the FEIS are available from the BLM Nevada State Office or at http://www.blm.gov/nv/.
The Kane Springs Valley project is a proposal to develop groundwater and deliver the water to the Coyote Springs master-planned community in Lincoln County. The FEIS analyzes the project, which is proposed by the Lincoln County Water District. The volume of water to be transported through the proposed facilities could be up to 5,000 acre-feet per year. The State Water Engineer is responsible for approving or denying water right applications.
Coyote Springs is a huge, 42,000 acres huge, development planned to be the site of at least 159,000 homes and 16 golf courses in the desert about 50 north of Las Vegas. Most of the development is in Lincoln County, which is welcoming the tax rich community. There have been what some call questionable deals involving developer Harvey Whittemore, Nevada Senator Harry Reid, and various federal land and wildlife agencies. The endangered desert tortoise had its traditional lands taken from it and the remaining members of its community moved away from the area.
Whittemore has large developments in northern Nevada north of Sparks but is best known in the Silver State as a lobbyist and political campaign boss. He has been at the helm of many of those currently in public office including Reid. There are current lawsuits in federal court involving land swap deals between Whittemore and the BLM.
According to Whittemore, Coyote Springs would become the western home to the PGA professionals and would be a world class golfing destination.
To feed 159,000 homes and 16 professional level golf courses takes thousands of acre feet of water, which according to geologists doesn’t exist in the Coyote Springs area. Originally Whittemore was hoping to tap into the 300 mile pipeline that the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is looking to build between White Pine County and the Las Vegas Valley. That opportunity did not take place and Whittemore has been buying and leasing water rights from many areas around the development.
Interestingly, the largest owner of water rights in the state is Vidler Water Company of Carson City. They hold the key to both SNWA’s plans and Whittemore’s development, but Whittemore recently discovered he cannot buy or lease water from Vidler to be distributed at Coyote Springs. Nevada law forbids the owner of water rights to sell the water to other than a municipal or utility designed to deliver water. Because of that, Whittemore has developed a type of community government for Coyote Springs, which if accepted as a municipal government would allow him to create a municipal water company and allow him to purchase water from Vidler.
Written response to the Kane Springs FEIS can be made for 30 days from February 8, or until March 10, 2008. The Lincoln County Water District (LCWD) submitted a right-of-way application to the BLM for construction and operation of a groundwater development project. The right-of-way would authorize LCWD to construct infrastructure required to pump and convey groundwater resources in the Kane Springs Valley. The proposed project consists of groundwater production/monitoring wells, water collection pipelines, one main water transmission pipeline, one terminal storage tank, one forebay storage tank, electrical distribution lines, electrical substations, and a telemetry system/fiber optic lines. Project construction would occur in three phases with 1 to 3 years between phases. Construction would begin at the southwest terminus of the project (near the intersection of Hwy 93 and Kane Springs Road) and continue to the northeast (generally following Kane Springs Road). The phases will correspond to the demand for water and the issuance of future water rights. Construction of Phase 1 would begin upon acquisition of necessary permits, approvals, and grants.
Homes in the Coyote Springs development are being built by Pardee Homes of northern Nevada, a company closely associated with Whittemore’s other projects in the Silver State. Written comments can be submitted by any of the following methods:
• Via mail to Penny Woods, Project Manager, BLM Nevada Groundwater Projects Office, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520
• Via Fed-Ex to Penny Woods, Project Manager, BLM Nevada Groundwater Projects Office, 1340 Financial Blvd, Reno, NV 89502).
• Via fax (775-861-6689)
• Via e-mail to nvgwprojects@blm.gov
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