www.nevadacleanenergy.org/Smoke...rt.pdf

The link above is a new report analyzing the economic implications of water use for the Smoke Creek Desert hydrological basin. It basically demonstrates that water is more valuable as a resource for the growing communities near Reno. This is still a controversial issue since there are some people who would not want ANY water exported, but it seems to me that RESPONSIBLE expolitation of a resource in the state for the benefit of the state is a balanced development, vs. removing water to meet growing out-of-state electricity demands which can be fulfilled through other means.

WHATEVER development, the first step to ensuring that water use is fair and balanced is an ADJUDICATION of water rights in the Smoke Creek basin. This would basically be an audit of water supplies by the State water engineer, Hugh Ricci, and would reveal that the water rights which Sempra is claiming are highly dubious.

Please write a letter to Washoe County Commission Chair Bonnie Weber, strongly urging her to request an adjudication to the State water engineer
in regards to Sempra Energy’s claimed water rights for the proposed coal-fired
power plant near Gerlach. See below for the official call for action from the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Nevada Clean Energy Supporter,

Of the many dangers the proposed Sempra coal-fired plant would have on Washoe County, one of the most important is the danger of losing our precious water resources- specifically those in the Smoke Creek Desert.

We can prevent Sempra from taking away this valuable resource by contacting
Washoe County Commissioners and asking them to request a water adjudication from the State water engineer. This request will make a state engineer look at the water rights Sempra is claiming and compare them to other water rights in the Smoke Creek basin. We strongly believe the water rights Sempra are claiming are bogus, we need officials to see this too.

This is a CRITICAL ACTION AGAINST SEMPRA. Without a vast amount of water
Sempra will not be able to operate the plant. Our water should be kept in Nevada and Washoe County, our wildlife and our community will all benefit from this adjudication.

For a direct link to the Washoe County Commissioner’s contact information
visit the Take Action page at
www.nevadacleanenergy.org/takea...n.html

...or the Washoe County website at:
www.co.washoe.nv.us/bcc/bios..._version=

If you like you can copy the message below and paste into your email for
your County Commissioner, or if you live outside of the County, to the Chair, Commissioner Bonnie Weber (BWeber@washoecounty.us):

Dear Commissioner-
I am strongly urging you to request an adjudication to the State water engineer
in regards to Sempra Energy’s claimed water rights for the proposed coal-fired
power plant near Gerlach. Washoe County’s water supply is a very precious
commodity which both the local community and indigenous wildlife cannot afford to lose in favor of energy production for California.
Thank you.