Nevada water use up 81 percent

LAS VEGAS - Nevada, the fastest-growing state in the nation, increased its use of water more than any other state in the Southwest from 1950 to 2000, according to a new report.

The U.S. Geological Survey found the population of Nevada increased almost tenfold during those years and water "withdrawal" increased 81 percent - the most of any state in the region.

California, which increased water use by 72 percent during the 50-year period, remained the largest user of water overall, mainly because of its population and agricultural industry.

"In my mind, California is really the dominant feature in the West, but looking at the percentage change in population in the Southwest states, we found that those states grew faster than California," said Alice Konieczki, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and one of the authors of the report.

While the correlation between increasing populations and water use has been widely reported, the study gave comprehensive data on individual states' growth and water use.

For example, California took 62 percent of the water withdrawn for agricultural use in all five states in 1950 and 68 percent in 2000.

However, water withdrawn for domestic use in California declined from 82 percent of the total domestic use in 1950 to 70 percent in 2000. According to the report, this indicates the domestic needs for water increased more in Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico than in California.

Even though Nevada increased its consumption of water for domestic use by about 20 percent from 1950 to 2000, the rate of water consumption in Southern Nevada has decreased recently, according to Vince Alberta, spokesman for the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

In 2002, for example, the Las Vegas Valley used approximately 320,000 acre-feet. In 2003, that went down to 270,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, enough to serve one or two families for a year.

"The community has embraced water conservation," Alberta said. "The lowering rate of water use is reflective of how you grow, and what this community has demonstrated is that water conservation is a concern."