‘Where is the water going to come from?’: Activists oppose new proposed Vegas airport
A group of environmental activists, many of them costumed as desert animals, questioned the need for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport Wednesday, saying high-speed rail is a more efficient and environmentally friendly conveyance.
They also question where the proposed airport is going to get its water.
Several representatives of the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club’s Toiyabe Chapter and Make the Road Nevada addressed administrators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management, the lead agencies conducting scoping meetings for an environmental impact statement and a Resource Management Plan Amendment for the proposed airport at the second of three public meetings on the planned multibillion-dollar airport planned about 35 miles south of Las Vegas and just east of Interstate 15.
The third and final public scoping meeting is scheduled Thursday at 6 p.m. at the ballroom of the Primm Valley Resort in Primm.
Former Clark County Commissioner and Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani was on the commission board when Clark County made the decision in 2010 to suspend action on developing the airport.
Over time, passenger numbers have risen to record levels and Clark County’s Department of Aviation sought to restart the development process last year.
Passenger totals have soared and dipped over time and, after a record 58.4 million passengers arrived at Harry Reid International Airport in 2024, counts have fallen again in 2025. In addition, Brightline has gotten on track to build high-speed rail between Southern California and Las Vegas and the environmental group said its a more efficient clean-energy solution to move people between major cities.
But water resources, they said, is another big issue.
“I serve on the Great Basin Water Network board of directors, and that’s constantly our question, where is the water going to come from?” Giunchigliani said. “The Ivanpah aquifer is sourced from the Spring Mountains and the New York Mountains. We are in a drought. Our snowpack was minimal across the Spring Mountains this last year, so where is the water?”
She has other questions as well.
“Where will the electricity come from? Will there be additional transmission lines? What about air quality? What about lighting and impact on habitats? What about any renewable energy programs or projects that might be located within the area? The (Southern Nevada Water District) will pay one of the key roles in this. Dealing with water infrastructure, wastewater treatment and reclamation, and environmental considerations. They should be in at every step of this conversation on the (environmental impact statement) and the (Resource Management Plan Amendment), because they are going to be the ones that deal with the infrastructure, how you get the water in and the sewage out.”
Speakers voiced concern about the potential of urban sprawl from the M Resort in Henderson at the southern end of the valley all the way to the California state line.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
