Utah's west desert seems a long way from the Salt Lake Valley. And the possibility of Nevada draining scarce water from the desert's Snake Valley 10 years from now might seem too far in the future to worry about. But if residents of the Wasatch Front believe this issue doesn't concern them, they should think again.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has proposed piping millions of gallons of water 300 miles from the aquifer that lies beneath the valley straddling the Utah-Nevada state line south to Las Vegas, where growth has outstripped available water. Mike Styler, director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, and Nevada officials have come up with a formula for allocating the water to the two states. It could go into effect in 2019.

The National Park Service and wildlife managers worry that the delicate desert ecosystems would not survive the siphoning of groundwater. Snake Valley ranchers are worried about their livelihoods. But Wasatch Front residents have a stake in this, too. If the Snake Valley were to become a dust bowl, air quality in Utah's most populous counties, already unhealthy at times, would deteriorate even further.

That means all Utahns should study the draft agreement and let Utah officials know what they think. And time is running out fast. Wednesday is the final day for the public to register concerns, opposition or support. You can do that and also look over the draft documents and other people's comments by logging on at www.waterrights.utah.gov.

Written comments about the agreement may be sent by e-mail to: snakevalley@utah.gov. Or send them by mail to: Snake Valley Agreement, c/o Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 220; Salt Lake City, Utah 84114.

We support efforts by the governor and the Legislature to allow a thorough study of the draft. A legislative interim committee asked the DNR to delay any final recommendation to the governor until the Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council created by law this year can provide its input. It held its first meeting last week.

There is no need to finalize an agreement any time soon. The SNWA has put its permit request on hold, and a nationwide recession has significantly slowed growth in southern Nevada. More scientific studies are needed to determine how much water the aquifer holds and whether the amount is already declining, as ranchers attest.

Gov. Gary Herbert says he wants to hear from Utahns about the agreement and promised to take his time before deciding whether to sign off on it. Let's give him an earful.