The western United States continues to be the fastest-growing and fastest-urbanizing region of the country, while also being the most arid (Mackun and Wilson, 2011). As population and cities continue to grow in water-scarce environments, people are forced to confront value tradeoffs in trying to balance efficiency, equity, and effectiveness of water allocation practices (Ingram, Scaff, and Silko, 1986; National Research Council, 1992; Howe and Ingram, 2002; Ingram, Whiteley, and Perry, 2008). In the U.S. West, these water allocation challenges are made even more difficult as people try to increase the flexibility of an established water system deeply entrenched in American political and institutional history (Ingram, 1990; Wilkinson, 1992; Reisner, 1993; Ingram and Brown, 1998; Lach, Rayner, and Ingram 2005; Lach, Ingram, and Rayner, 2006). In this article, we examine the water conflict between the Las Vegas metropolitan area and rural communities in east-central Nevada (figure 1). The main source of Las Vegas’s current water supply is the Colorado River, which flows south from Lake Powell at the Arizona-Utah border through the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead. Nearly 40 million people in seven states, including major U.S. cities and agricultural systems, depend on Colorado River water. Over-allocation of the Colorado River, multiple competing needs, prolonged drought, rapid regional population

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关于南内华达州水务局地下水开发项目的政策辩论：沙漠中水资源的有益利用

美国西部仍然是该国发展最快和城市化速度最快的地区，同时也是最干旱的地区（Mackun 和 Wilson，2011）。随着人口和城市在缺水环境中持续增长，人们在试图平衡水资源分配实践的效率、公平和有效性时被迫面临价值权衡（Ingram、Scaff 和 Silko，1986 年；国家研究委员会，1992 年；豪和英格拉姆，2002 年；英格拉姆、怀特利和佩里，2008 年）。在美国西部，随着人们试图提高在美国政治和制度历史中根深蒂固的既定供水系统的灵活性，这些水资源分配挑战变得更加困难（Ingram，1990；Wilkinson，1992；Reisner，1993；Ingram 和 Brown , 1998；Lach、Rayner 和 Ingram 2005；Lach、Ingram 和 Rayner，2006）。在本文中，我们研究了拉斯维加斯大都市区与内华达州中东部农村社区之间的水资源冲突（图 1）。拉斯维加斯目前供水的主要来源是科罗拉多河，它从亚利桑那州和犹他州边界的鲍威尔湖向南流过大峡谷，流入米德湖。包括美国主要城市和农业系统在内的七个州的近 4000 万人依赖科罗拉多河的水。科罗拉多河的过度分配、多重竞争需求、长期干旱、区域人口快速增长 从亚利桑那州和犹他州边界的鲍威尔湖向南流过大峡谷，进入米德湖。包括美国主要城市和农业系统在内的七个州的近 4000 万人依赖科罗拉多河的水。科罗拉多河的过度分配、多重竞争需求、长期干旱、区域人口快速增长 从亚利桑那州和犹他州边界的鲍威尔湖向南流过大峡谷，进入米德湖。包括美国主要城市和农业系统在内的七个州的近 4000 万人依赖科罗拉多河的水。科罗拉多河的过度分配、多重竞争需求、长期干旱、区域人口快速增长