Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act
This bill, titled the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act, would (1) expand the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) by updating the boundary map and increasing the designated acreage from 48,438 to 57,728 acres, and (2) create a new right-of-way for a Horizon Lateral Pipeline described as part of the proposed expansion. The right-of-way would be granted to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for temporary and permanent water pipeline infrastructure, power lines, facilities, and access roads depicted on a specific map, located outside the current Conservation Area boundaries. The grant would be made within one year of enactment and would not require rent or other charges. The bill also sets conditions to protect resources, requires adherence to existing land-use laws, preserves existing utility corridors and rights, and ensures that the expansion does not permanently harm conservation resources or allow construction through wilderness areas. Management of Sloan Canyon remains under the existing framework except as expressly altered by the bill.
Key Points
- 1Boundary adjustment: Replaces the old boundary map with a new map titled “Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion” (dated May 20, 2024) and increases the Conservation Area’s acreage from 48,438 to 57,728 acres.
- 2Horizon Lateral Pipeline Right-of-Way: Requires the Interior Secretary, through the Bureau of Land Management, to grant SNWA a right-of-way for temporary and permanent water pipeline infrastructure, powerlines, facilities, and access roads depicted on the map, outside the Conservation Area, within one year of enactment, with no rents or charges.
- 3Geotechnical and construction rights: Grants SNWA the ability to conduct geotechnical investigations, and to construct and operate the water transmission and related facilities within the granted rights-of-way; includes allowance to excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, or other materials from tunneling, with a required memorandum of understanding (MOA) within 30 days to identify disposal locations on Federal land.
- 4Resource protections and limits: Right-of-way would be subject to terms to protect Conservation Area resources under FLPMA, and construction must not permanently harm surface resources; the right-of-way cannot be located through any designated wilderness area.
- 5Corridor and management protections: Expansion is subject to valid existing rights and designated corridors; does not preclude ongoing maintenance of existing utilities or the establishment of new utility rights within existing corridors, governed by NEPA and other applicable laws; management of the Conservation Area remains otherwise as currently provided, except as specifically changed by the Act.