Why it matters
H.R. 972 adds about 9,290 acres to the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area south of Las Vegas, growing it from 48,438 to 57,728 acres. In the same bill, the Southern Nevada Water Authority gets a guaranteed, rent-free right-of-way to build a water pipeline through Bureau of Land Management land within one year. It's conservation and construction written into a single deal.
H.R. 972 redraws the boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, adding roughly 9,290 acres. That takes the protected area from 48,438 acres to 57,728 acres, using a new official map dated May 20, 2024.
But the bill isn't only about preservation. It also orders the Interior Department, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, to grant the Southern Nevada Water Authority a right-of-way within one year for the Horizon Lateral Pipeline and related facilities. That covers the water pipeline itself plus, outside the conservation area, powerline, facility, and access road routes. The water authority pays no rent or other federal charges for it.
The bill sets some limits. The pipeline can't run through or under any designated wilderness, and construction can't permanently damage surface resources inside the conservation area. The Interior Secretary can attach reasonable conditions to protect the land.
It also clears the way for the digging. The water authority can excavate and reuse or dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other material from tunneling, and BLM has 30 days after the right-of-way is granted to sign an agreement identifying federal land where that material can go.
The expansion doesn't erase existing utility rights. Valid utility corridors and previously approved transmission rights inside the new boundary stay intact, and BLM can still approve new utility routes within existing designated corridors if environmental review and other laws are met. The result is a compromise: more protected acreage, but a settled path for water and utility development.
