Legal battles continue over a pipeline that would route water to Las Vegas
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By Casey Leins | US News and World Report
Nevada has reached a “critical mass” of its water supply, according to an official, leaving the state to consider how it will supply enough water for its growing population.
“Between historical over-appropriation and over-pumping in our water basin and people moving to Nevada– regardless of the number of tourists we have coming in–we have had an influx of population in the north and in the south,” Brad Crowell, director of the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, told local television show Nevada NewsMakers.
When asked if Nevada is at its critical mass for its water supply, Crowell responded,”To be blunt, I think we’re already at that point, quite honestly.”
Nevada ranked No. 3 in U.S. News’ 2019 Best States rankings for net migration from 2014 to 2017. The state’s population increased by approximately 2.1% from 2017 to 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
