In 1989, Southern Nevada officials announced plans to pump and pipe groundwater from rural communities to feed sprawl development in Las Vegas. In response, environmentalists, Indigenous tribes, and local farmers and ranchers formed the Great Basin Water Network to protect water in one of the driest regions in the US. After a 30-year fight with more than 15 years of litigation, the coalition successfully halted the 300-mile pipeline that would have extracted 56 billion gallons of groundwater annually from Eastern Nevada and Western Utah. But their work didn’t stop there. The group has continued to monitor and oppose other harmful projects aimed at extracting groundwater and building new river dams across the region. Through advocacy focused on influencing federal and state laws and policies regarding conservation, the Great Basin Water Network has been fighting to keep the water where it belongs, serving the communities and the natural systems of the Great Basin.
The Great Basin Water Network opposes the creation of the Cedar City Pipeline and Water Grab, which will drain underground water that feeds the Great Salt Lake, affecting places like the Tule Valley in the picture. (photo: Great Basin Water Network)
The Great Basin Water Network has one staff member, supported by attorneys and hydrologists. They rely on volunteers to raise awareness and protect groundwater, desert springs, and wetlands in the Great Basin. Their activities include tracking water filings and proposals at the state and federal level, organizing events on water conservation, and partnering with NGOs on litigation and policy initiatives. Collaborating with UC Berkeley, they mapped water profiteering by private companies in Nevada. They advocate with Western Shoshone and Paiute leaders against desert water grabs and for protecting sacred sites. Over the years, the network has engaged in over a dozen legal battles, preventing the extraction of 300 billion gallons of groundwater annually. They are currently fighting plans to drain rural valleys for Cedar City and efforts to revive a Colorado River water pipeline. Through these actions, the Great Basin Water Network benefits local communities and protects the environment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSIRkqVRSgg