Nev. Gov. Kenny Guinn is scheduled to be the keynote speaker today at a three-day conference focused on water issues at Lake Tahoe.
The Nevada Water Resources Association's 54th annual conference begins today at Caesar's Tahoe and concludes Thursday. The majority of the conference will focus on Tahoe, with discussions likely to touch on the lake's declining clarity and the MTBE contamination on South Shore.
"The primary goal of our organization is to educate and inform people about water issues in the state," said Donna Bloom, the association's executive director. "I think what most people get (from the conference) is an understanding of what's going on as far as water issues in the state."
Bloom said the conference provides officials with a means of networking.
Guinn is scheduled to kick-off the conference about 1 p.m. today. Panels and field trips will fill the rest of the three-day event.
How science and politics affect the region's water issues will be addressed.
An official from the South Tahoe Public Utility District, which has faced extensive problems with MTBE contamination in its groundwater, will speak in a panel about water supply and groundwater. The attorney for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which has long been involved in litigation regarding alleged land-taking issued, will be on a panel about land swaps and takings issues.
Some panels will address other Nevada issues, but the primary focus will be on Tahoe issues.
What: Nevada Water Resources Association's 1999 conference
When: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Where: Caesars Tahoe, 55 U.S. Highway 50, Stateline
Cost: $235 for members; $325 for non-members
Information: Donna Bloom, (775) 750-1268
