As an outspoken critic of the Southern Nevada Water Authority's groundwater development plans for Spring and Snake valleys, Gary Perea believes the State of Utah has White Pine County's best interests in mind.

Unlike their counterparts to the west, Utah state officials are involved in ongoing studies to examine the effects that groundwater pumping could have on the aquifer underlying Snake Valley. Those studies have won high praise from Perea and other Baker-area residents who say that Nevada officials have not followed suit.

But not everyone holds the Beehive State in such high esteem.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Ely Times Aug. 22 that there are ulterior motives behind Utah's drive for a second Basin and Range Carbonate Aquifer System (BARCAS) study.

“The second study is being pushed by the State of Utah because they want the water,” Reid said.

Reid's statement echoed earlier comments made by Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy.

Mulroy, whose agency is seeking to develop about 25,000 acre-feet of groundwater annually from the Snake Valley aquifer, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal earlier this month that Utah wants the water for future development along the Interstate 15 corridor around Cedar City and St. George. Moreover, she charged that Utah was interfering with Nevada's “sovereign right” to develop its groundwater resources.

Reid, D-Nev., went one step further last week, referring at one point to the difficulties caused by Utah's attempts to steal “our” water.

Perea, a former White Pine County Commissioner who remains actively involved with county water issues, said that Reid's attempt to paint Utah in a bad light was a smokescreen.

“I get quite frustrated when I hear a comment like that,” Perea said. “The whole purpose of the second BARCAS study is to find out what effects groundwater pumping may have.”

Perea praised Utah officials for taking an active role in further groundwater studies.

He noted that Utah has hired the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to drill between 12 and 15 test wells on the Utah side of Snake Valley. USGS crews are currently working east of Baker and are expected to drill additional wells around Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge some time next year.

Perea said the test pumping would help determine whether the conclusions from the first BARCAS report are indeed accurate.

He noted that Nevada officials have not undertaken similar studies.

“The State of Nevada has not pumped any wells or gathered any information for itself,” he said. “It's all been done by the Southern Nevada Water Authority ... and they're controlling the information. They are not releasing the test results.”

Perea is not the only one who defends Utah's role in the additional studies.

Utah State Sen. Dennis Stowell, whose sprawling district includes both Snake Valley and Cedar City, said the second BARCAS study was intended for informational purposes only.

“The more information you get, the better decisions you make,” he said.

Stowell is a member of the Utah State Senate's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee, which has asked the state's federal lawmakers to consider the second BARCAS report.

The committee's request prompted Mulroy to charge that Utah wants the water for development along the I-15 corridor.

But Stowell denied that Beehive State lawmakers are after Nevada's water.

“At no meeting that I've ever been to has there been any talk of bringing that water over (to Cedar City) from Nevada,” the onetime White Pine County resident said.

Stowell expressed regret about the verbal fisticuffs, and said the two states should work together to reach an agreement that protects Utah's groundwater resources.

“We just want to be sure that everybody's treated fairly, and we want to protect those ag people out there (in Snake Valley) -- certainly not to the detriment of anyone else,” he said.