A group of legislators has sent a message to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. regarding the state's ongoing negotiations with Nevada to divide groundwater resources along the state line in Snake Valley:

Slow down.

Members of the interim Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee on Wednesday endorsed a resolution that calls for Utah to forestall any water sharing agreement with Nevada until a federal study assessing groundwater supplies in the west desert region has been completed.

Department of Natural Resources Director Michael Styler, who is in the midst of negotiations with Nevada on a deal, said he will try to "conform to the wishes" of the nonbinding resolution. But he acknowledged that it will make talks that much trickier with his Nevada counterparts who want to get a deal done as soon as possible.

"We're walking a tightrope, and now they're taking away the umbrella," Styler said. "I guess we're just going to have to tiptoe more carefully."

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has proposed a massive groundwater project that would take nearly 200,000 acre-feet of water annually out of eastern Nevada's arid, but groundwater-rich valleys, and ship it to Las Vegas via a pipeline network. The Nevada state engineer is currently weighing the application to withdraw 91,000 acre-feet annually out of Spring Valley, which is located west of Great Basin National Park.

But part of the water authority's plan includes taking at least 25,000 acre-feet - and perhaps as much as 50,000 acre-feet - yearly out of Snake Valley. Because Utah and Nevada share the aquifer underneath the valley, an agreement between the two states is necessary before that part of the project can go forward.

A small, but well organized coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and local political leaders has opposed the plan, particularly the water authority's push to begin the project before an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey study of the area's groundwater resources is complete.

Add to that list of foes the Natural Resources interim committee - which passed Wednesday's resolution unanimously.

"We need to support [Styler] as he moves forward with this," said Rep. Richard Wheeler, R-Ephraim. "There are political pressures above and below, and we understand that. But this is also a situation where people's lives are at stake."

jbaird@sltrib.com