Water Resources

Southern Nevada gets nearly 90 percent of its water from the Colorado River. The other 10 percent of our water comes from groundwater that is pumped out through existing wells within Clark County.

Since its inception in 1991, the Water Authority has worked to develop and manage a flexible portfolio of diverse water resources. This portfolio includes a variety of Colorado River and in-state resources, including both surface water and groundwater rights and groundwater applications.

The Water Authority will develop responsibly these additional water resources, and it will ensure environmental issues and neighboring communities' concerns are addressed.

Water resource planning

To address water resource issues, the Water Authority developed a Water Resource Plan, which is reviewed annually and updated as necessary.

Important components of the plan include conservation programs and drought response. In its efforts to make the best use of its Colorado River allocation, SNWA has implemented one of the most comprehensive water conservation programs in the nation. SNWA also implemented an aggressive drought management program in response to the worst drought on record in the Colorado River system.

Conserving water is one of the best methods to protect our water resources and help our community weather the drought.