Utahns worried about a proposal to supply Las Vegas with groundwater piped from the Utah-Nevada line plan to testify and protest against the project this week.

The Nevada state engineer is hearing testimony on the Southern Nevada Water Authority's application for water from Spring Valley and associated watersheds Friday in Carson City, Nev., with teleconference testimony also coming from Las Vegas, Ely and Caliente, Nev.

Representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation have chartered a bus to Carson City for the event, fearful that drawing down Spring Valley will affect underground flows in their reservation south of Wendover.

The Great Basin Water Network also will have members testifying at the four sites. Other institutions protesting the rights applications include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Salt Lake County.

Spring Valley doesn't touch on Utah's boundaries, but it is connected to Snake Valley, which does.

"It's important to all Utahns because of the interconnectivity of the aquifer," said Steve Erickson, of the Great Basin Water Network.

Nevada authorities are expected to hear protests next year about the Las Vegas utility's bid for Snake Valley wells.

Meanwhile, the Goshutes hope Utah Gov. Gary Herbert will hold off on signing a Snake Valley water-sharing agreement with Nevada. Tribal representatives met with Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and other state officials Monday and were disappointed to hear that they believe the state should agree to a deal splitting the groundwater, said Gavin Noyes, a consultant to the Goshutes with Round River Conservation Studies.

"We did hear very clearly that [Herbert's] entire staff feels like it's the best agreement they're going to get," Noyes said, "and if they don't sign it soon, they're going to get sued."

The agreement, worked out between Utah and Nevada water officials a year and a half ago but put on hold when the Nevada Supreme Court invalidated previous applications for water rights, splits the water and requires environmental monitoring. It guarantees Utah's existing 35,000 acre-feet of rights and Nevada's 12,000, while awarding 35,000 acre-feet of new rights to Nevada and 6,000 to Utah. Another 24,000 acre-feet go to Utah's Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, and any remaining water would be split with each state yielding veto power.

Trouble is, it's unclear how much water is actually available, and opponents charge that granting Las Vegas the Nevada rights for a pipeline would dry up other wells. The deal allows for shutting off Las Vegas water if that happens, but some fear that will be politically difficult.

Utah Department of Natural Resources Director Mike Styler said he believes the Beehive State is smart to accept the deal because the alternative would be to allow the U.S. Supreme Court to decide how much each state gets — without required environmental monitoring. But he said the governor is not about to sign the deal before learning more from Nevada's hearing process.

"Right now, [Herbert] is just saying, 'I want to be certain of things more than we are right now,' " Styler said. "I don't think he's wavering on whether we have an agreement."

Pipeline foes hope the governor will wait until Nevada sorts out the Las Vegas applications.

"It's best for the state to keep its powder dry," Erickson said.

bloomis@sltrib.com —

Friday's 8 a.m water rights hearings

• Carson City, Nev., Nevada Legislature, 401 S. Carson St., Room 1214

• Ely, Nev., Great Basin College, 2115 Bobcat Drive, Room 112

• Las Vegas, Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Room 4412

• Caliente, Nev., Grover C. Dils Medical Center Administration Building Conference Room, 700 N. Spring St.