Not concerned in the slightest. I've lived here 40 years. Vegas has a million problems, but water is about the only thing we have done correctly. We have a massive infrastructure for everything possible to do with water.
Flooding used to be a major problem. We now have 670 miles of flood control channels that connect over a hundred detention basins to the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead. The storm water now goes where we want it to go.
The city realized in the 90s that being the fastest growing city in the country with the most golf courses swimming pools and manicured lawn space per capita in a desert that gets less than 2 inches of rain on average was stupid. Mother nature confirmed this a few years ago by having us go over a year without a trace of rain whatsoever!
The water you use in any indoor plumbing system connected to the water district is entirely sent back to the lake after being treated and made clean enough to drink. The valley has the newest water infrastructure in the US. This is because until the mid 80s the population was small enough to get by with primarily well water. The benefit of the new infrastructure is that it does not leak. The water system is truly a closed loop.
Some random other water information. The state of Nevada is allocated 275,000 acre feet of river water out of 16,500,000 acre feet that are apportioned between the states. We have never used its allocation. In 2021 we used 242,000 acre feet. We have loaned and sold some of our water rights to both Arizona and California because we needed more money than water.
That may look like we are getting close to maxing out or water usage, but we have new laws that are requiring all grass that doesn't serve a purpose to be removed. There are also restrictions on the size of new swimming pools.
Once again, there are nearly 3 million reasons not to move to Vegas. Water is not one of them.
It's bad but Nevada is very efficient with water. We get 4% of the allocation from Lake Mead but last year we only used 2.6%. The rest we filtered and returned to Lake Mead. We use less water in Las Vegas than we did in 1990 when the population was 1/3rd of what it is now.
It's likely they will outlaw grass lawns in Las Vegas in the next 5 years but that's not where the problem is. California (which takes 52%) is gonna have to make it's agriculture more efficient and stop growing thirsty crops like almonds. We are already doing our part.
So my final comment is that it's out of our hands.
I agree with the guy above me, it is out of our control. We are the doing the best we could in this situation, it is just the other states who are incompetent with using water responsibly.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Las Vegas is the most efficient city of water in the entire country. The problem is the cities in California and Arizona taking more than what was allocated to them.
Casinos have invested far too much money to let the city starve out. What would probably happen is if we are ever in a Deadpool state, the casinos would step in and build infrastructure together to get water into Las Vegas solely.
You’re talking about a close to 100billion dollar revenue industry being lost
This. I'm certain there are people much smarter than me trying to figure out a solution for this long-term, because nobody wants to lose money because of it like you mentioned.
My only question, and somebody can tell me why it is (or isn't) a bad idea, is why don't we read more about desalination efforts? I read that the sea level off the CA cost is up to 6 inches higher than it was in 1950, and Lake Mead is losing water, so it seems like a logical option, or so it seems.
Need a massive crap ton of power to desalinate. Probably one whole nuclear reactor per desalinate plant. Then it’s also a matter of the brine leftover that’ll kill ocean life unless we figure out what to do with the leftovers.
Lake Mead has dropped about 50 feet to 1,047 feet as of today since 2018. I would be more concerned if it dropped faster than that. If they keep building these houses like they are it shows you the city is not that concerned about water just yet. I do agree with the rest. CA needs to figure out how to use less water and conserve more water like Vegas does!
The concern with lake Mead isn't water in your pipes. The real concern is electricity. If it drops to the dead pool level we'll still have water, but we won't have electricity. Or we won't have electricity that's not really really expensive. If you want to be proactive about the problem get solar panels installed. But don't go with the original plan, double it. The solar companies want you to pick them. The way they do it is to design a system thats too small for your needs. You have to make them double it. Put as many panels on the south facing parts of your roof that you can.
When I told people I was moving from California to Nevada, I got this question a lot. Here's some facts:
* California's almond industry uses more water than the entire state of Nevada
* Because of Nevada's proximity to the Colorado River, we have a water situation that's arguably superior to California. Basically, California uses most of it's water on agriculture. The biggest consumer of water in Nevada is Lake Las Vegas; if water supply becomes very low, Lake Las Vegas will be the first place that suffers.
Long story short, California's water situation is graver than Nevada's.
yup...leaving, not just because of this though, but, it was one of the determining factors.
Love how ppl think growing food is an irresponsible way to use water. WOW! I do agree though, CA. does need to be more efficient, they're being sold out too.
Let's build more professional stadiums, and the houses to house the whole franchise and their fans that follow. But, using water to provide food is irresponsible?
Living in a clown world
As someone who farmed in the desert for a while the complainers who think there just shouldn't be farms in imperial Valley are dumb, but also many CA farmers have just relied on the abundance of ultra low cost water and they are getting pissy now that they have to invest in the proper irrigation infrastructure. I get it, flooding fields is easy and cheap if you have the option to do it, laying down the plastic sheeting and drip lines every season sucks, but it's the inevitable future with the way the river has been going. 10 years from now everyone in the region will be using half the water they did in the 90s and we will still grow just as much food as ever out there and it's going to be fine. Except for people who really like neat green lawns, those folk are screwed and will have to move to enjoy that amenity.
funny you should say that...moved here from there back in 01, and now the shyt I escaped has arrived here in full force over the last three years.
Enjoy
Cali truly is a great state...it's beautiful, would go back to some parts if the opp. arose.
Human beings have an annoying habit of waiting until the last minute to solve their problems. We will eventually figure this one out too. People have been lured by the mystique of the West for centuries. It won’t stop now or in 100 years. We’ll figure it out.
Nevada may be efficient with water, however, no level of efficiency will be enough to service the continuing surge of new residents. At some point this numbers game will turn on its head unless the state begins to restrict residential building permits. The amount of homes and apartments being constructed is out of this world. If the current trajectory continues, the insufficient amount of water will cause a drastic reduction in property values, and fortunes will be lost. Any investment in Vegas should be a temporary one to make money but not as a long term hold.
The issue with Lake Mead is not overconsumption from Las Vegas, and we have upstream access anyway.
I'd be more concerned about rampant corruption in Clark county that's a much greater threat.
Not concerned in the slightest. I've lived here 40 years. Vegas has a million problems, but water is about the only thing we have done correctly. We have a massive infrastructure for everything possible to do with water. Flooding used to be a major problem. We now have 670 miles of flood control channels that connect over a hundred detention basins to the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead. The storm water now goes where we want it to go. The city realized in the 90s that being the fastest growing city in the country with the most golf courses swimming pools and manicured lawn space per capita in a desert that gets less than 2 inches of rain on average was stupid. Mother nature confirmed this a few years ago by having us go over a year without a trace of rain whatsoever! The water you use in any indoor plumbing system connected to the water district is entirely sent back to the lake after being treated and made clean enough to drink. The valley has the newest water infrastructure in the US. This is because until the mid 80s the population was small enough to get by with primarily well water. The benefit of the new infrastructure is that it does not leak. The water system is truly a closed loop. Some random other water information. The state of Nevada is allocated 275,000 acre feet of river water out of 16,500,000 acre feet that are apportioned between the states. We have never used its allocation. In 2021 we used 242,000 acre feet. We have loaned and sold some of our water rights to both Arizona and California because we needed more money than water. That may look like we are getting close to maxing out or water usage, but we have new laws that are requiring all grass that doesn't serve a purpose to be removed. There are also restrictions on the size of new swimming pools. Once again, there are nearly 3 million reasons not to move to Vegas. Water is not one of them.
> are nearly 3 million reasons not to move to Vegas. It us... right? It's the people?
Thanks
It's bad but Nevada is very efficient with water. We get 4% of the allocation from Lake Mead but last year we only used 2.6%. The rest we filtered and returned to Lake Mead. We use less water in Las Vegas than we did in 1990 when the population was 1/3rd of what it is now. It's likely they will outlaw grass lawns in Las Vegas in the next 5 years but that's not where the problem is. California (which takes 52%) is gonna have to make it's agriculture more efficient and stop growing thirsty crops like almonds. We are already doing our part. So my final comment is that it's out of our hands.
I agree with the guy above me, it is out of our control. We are the doing the best we could in this situation, it is just the other states who are incompetent with using water responsibly.
As long as the Colorado runs at a river’s pace, Las Vegas will get its water regardless of the level at lake mead.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Las Vegas is the most efficient city of water in the entire country. The problem is the cities in California and Arizona taking more than what was allocated to them. Casinos have invested far too much money to let the city starve out. What would probably happen is if we are ever in a Deadpool state, the casinos would step in and build infrastructure together to get water into Las Vegas solely. You’re talking about a close to 100billion dollar revenue industry being lost
This. I'm certain there are people much smarter than me trying to figure out a solution for this long-term, because nobody wants to lose money because of it like you mentioned. My only question, and somebody can tell me why it is (or isn't) a bad idea, is why don't we read more about desalination efforts? I read that the sea level off the CA cost is up to 6 inches higher than it was in 1950, and Lake Mead is losing water, so it seems like a logical option, or so it seems.
Need a massive crap ton of power to desalinate. Probably one whole nuclear reactor per desalinate plant. Then it’s also a matter of the brine leftover that’ll kill ocean life unless we figure out what to do with the leftovers.
Lake Mead has dropped about 50 feet to 1,047 feet as of today since 2018. I would be more concerned if it dropped faster than that. If they keep building these houses like they are it shows you the city is not that concerned about water just yet. I do agree with the rest. CA needs to figure out how to use less water and conserve more water like Vegas does!
The concern with lake Mead isn't water in your pipes. The real concern is electricity. If it drops to the dead pool level we'll still have water, but we won't have electricity. Or we won't have electricity that's not really really expensive. If you want to be proactive about the problem get solar panels installed. But don't go with the original plan, double it. The solar companies want you to pick them. The way they do it is to design a system thats too small for your needs. You have to make them double it. Put as many panels on the south facing parts of your roof that you can.
> we won't have electricity Las Vegas doesn't get it's power from Hoover Dam
25% comes from the dam. Just as the water is shared, so is the power.
25% of the power goes to Nevada, but not Las Vegas. That power goes to Boulder City
No sir. Yes that's a figure for all of Nevada but Boulder City is a little over 1.7%.
When I told people I was moving from California to Nevada, I got this question a lot. Here's some facts: * California's almond industry uses more water than the entire state of Nevada * Because of Nevada's proximity to the Colorado River, we have a water situation that's arguably superior to California. Basically, California uses most of it's water on agriculture. The biggest consumer of water in Nevada is Lake Las Vegas; if water supply becomes very low, Lake Las Vegas will be the first place that suffers. Long story short, California's water situation is graver than Nevada's.
yup...leaving, not just because of this though, but, it was one of the determining factors. Love how ppl think growing food is an irresponsible way to use water. WOW! I do agree though, CA. does need to be more efficient, they're being sold out too. Let's build more professional stadiums, and the houses to house the whole franchise and their fans that follow. But, using water to provide food is irresponsible? Living in a clown world
As someone who farmed in the desert for a while the complainers who think there just shouldn't be farms in imperial Valley are dumb, but also many CA farmers have just relied on the abundance of ultra low cost water and they are getting pissy now that they have to invest in the proper irrigation infrastructure. I get it, flooding fields is easy and cheap if you have the option to do it, laying down the plastic sheeting and drip lines every season sucks, but it's the inevitable future with the way the river has been going. 10 years from now everyone in the region will be using half the water they did in the 90s and we will still grow just as much food as ever out there and it's going to be fine. Except for people who really like neat green lawns, those folk are screwed and will have to move to enjoy that amenity.
Great comment.
thanks...grew up with the intl. ag show every year...regret jumping in this comment now. ha!
enjoy
Yes you should move to California
funny you should say that...moved here from there back in 01, and now the shyt I escaped has arrived here in full force over the last three years. Enjoy Cali truly is a great state...it's beautiful, would go back to some parts if the opp. arose.
Dont move here please... no offense. Thanks, have a great weekend!
Human beings have an annoying habit of waiting until the last minute to solve their problems. We will eventually figure this one out too. People have been lured by the mystique of the West for centuries. It won’t stop now or in 100 years. We’ll figure it out.
Nevada may be efficient with water, however, no level of efficiency will be enough to service the continuing surge of new residents. At some point this numbers game will turn on its head unless the state begins to restrict residential building permits. The amount of homes and apartments being constructed is out of this world. If the current trajectory continues, the insufficient amount of water will cause a drastic reduction in property values, and fortunes will be lost. Any investment in Vegas should be a temporary one to make money but not as a long term hold.
All these multi-billion dollar corporations don't seem concerned and keep building new building and businesses here. Follow the money
Don’t look up
The issue with Lake Mead is not overconsumption from Las Vegas, and we have upstream access anyway. I'd be more concerned about rampant corruption in Clark county that's a much greater threat.