No - not that Dr. John!
Former USGS Regional Hydrologist and hydrogeologist extraordinaire Dr. John D. Bredehoeft (the one in the suit) has weighed in on the proposed SNWA plan to pump groundwater from Snake Valley on the Nevada-Utah border. He wrote an Op-Ed in the 15 January 2010 Salt Lake Tribune.
John has graced these pages before when I have posted about the SNWA and his work at dispelling the water budget myth. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and when it comes to quantitative hydrogeology, his forte (and that is properly pronounced 'fort'), I think there is no one better. He wrote the book on numerical groundwater modeling.
Emily Green alerted me to his article; the map is from her post. She also posted a longer version of his argument, available below.
Download GROUNDWATER-MONITORINGFOR-MITIGATION_-WILL-IT-WORK
John begins his Tribune piece thusly:
The question is: Will monitoring work? The answer is that it is virtually impossible. Let me explain why. John then employs a modeling scenario - which he used so well in his water budget myth papers - to illustrate that springflow in the region may take a long time to recover and will still show declines even after the pumping is eliminated. I urge you to read his Op-Ed or the longer article. John explains it far better than I can so I'm not going to try to distill his words. But let me just provide the last few paragraphs of his Tribune piece: While modeling might suggest cause and effect, there will not be consensus about using model results. Few will argue for totally stopping pumping, especially if large investments in infrastructure were made to support development. The springs in Snake Valley are home to six unique species of fish that are of concern. Ultimately, a state or federal court, empowered by the Endangered Species Act, may restrict all the pumping thought to impact these creatures. But once the genie of development is out of the bottle it will be virtually impossible to return it. Decline that is plainly predictable in careful modeling will persist in reality long after the monitors have stopped bickering or a judge has shut down the pumps. Adverse impacts -- ones that will be difficult, if not impossible, to pin on the pumping -- will undoubtedly follow. One can envision a horror story. Remember that last line: One can envision a horror story. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would not bet against John Bredehoeft. "Pat Mulroy is not a water manager, she's a pro-growth, anti-sustainable megalomaniac eager to exploit fear to get what she wants -- not what's best for her customers." -- David Zetland, Aguanomics “That doesn’t cause us any concern because that is the last valley on the system.” -- SNWA chief Pat Mulroy, commenting on the possible 10-year delay in getting Snake Valley groundwater into the pipeline to Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada Water Authority proposes pumping groundwater from five desert basins in the Great Basin, including Snake Valley on the Nevada-Utah border, and piping the water south to Las Vegas. Under the proposed water-sharing agreement for Snake Valley, a monitoring plan is offered as a mechanism to control excessive adverse impacts.
I offer the following comment to … Dr. John Speaks: Snake Valley Pumping Hard to Monitor … and rise to ask when we speak the … “monitoring” … of anything it seems to me we inevitably introduce and must include in the equation … people … the wildcard factor.
Moreover the notion of … monitoring … water … people … appear to me to be an oxymoron, especially when one factors in the disproportionate amounts of funding $$$ available to the parties.
Water and monitoring – today – is the domain of the attorneys, engineers, scientists employed by the various players to vigorously defend their parochial position. Water and monitoring are the result of the paradigm of water as a commodity … how would it look if … water were honestly part of the common…?
Respectfully,
PAUL F MILLER
http://waterman99.wordpress.com
Posted by: PAUL F MILLER | Thursday, 21 January 2010 at 08:27 AM
Great post (far better than mine, dammit). As Governor Herbert's pen hovers hesitantly over the Snake Valley UT-NV water-sharing agreement, it's important for experts of his calibre rarely heard outside of state engineer hearings to speak now or forever hold their peace. Kudos to Dr. Bredehoeft for weighing in.
Posted by: Emily Green | Tuesday, 19 January 2010 at 10:33 PM