With some predicting that this fast growing metropolis will run out of water within the decade, the head of the region's water authority has a tough job ahead.
"Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, may be the most powerful person in Las Vegas. She's responsible for keeping the water flowing in the desert metropolis-no mean feat in a city that was adding almost 8,000 new residents a month until the recent real estate meltdown. A controversial local figure ("Mulroy has no real counterpart on the East Coast," the New York Times reported. "Her nearest analogue might be Robert Moses."), she oversees everything from public-works projects to conservation efforts and water negotiations with neighboring states and municipalities in the Colorado River basin.
Mulroy's immense task has been further complicated by persistent drought and the threat of climate change. The two reservoirs that provide water for 27 million people in seven states-Lake Mead and Lake Powell-are now half full.
A recent Scripps Institution of Oceanography study found a 50 percent chance that both lakes will dry up by 2021 and a ten percent chance that they will run out of usable water by 2013. Currently, the water authority is moving forward with a controversial plan to pump water from the aquifers in the rural north. Executive editor Martin C. Pedersen recently spoke to Mulroy about the drought, her battles with local environmentalists, and the future of development in the West."
FULL STORY: On Dry Land
NOAA Great Lakes Lab Loses Key Funding
Cuts at a lab that monitors water quality in the Great Lakes region could harm efforts to prevent dangerous algal blooms.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’
Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.
E-Scooter Parking: A Guide
How smart planning — and ample designated parking — can end conflicts over shared scooters.
‘It’s Been 50 years’: Public Transit Law Passes in Montana
Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.
Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities
An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions