Gov. Jim Gibbons has created a new position to represent Nevada in negotiations with Utah over Colorado River issues and named former Colorado River Commission Chairman Richard Bunker to fill the post.
He appointed George F. Ogilvie III to replace Bunker on the commission and named former Vice Chairman Jacob Bingham the new CRC chairman.
The Colorado River Commission acquires, manages and protects Nevada's water and hydroelectric power resources from the Colorado River. Six other states and the federal government share the management of the Colorado River Basin. The CRC is Nevada's representative in dealings with those other states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2004 specifically directs the states of Nevada and Utah to reach an agreement on the use of water resources before either state can divert water from any shared basin. The Southern Nevada Water Authority's plan to bring water from Snake Valley in White Pine County is contingent upon the agreement.
Ogilvie is managing partner of the Las Vegas office of the law firm McDonald Carano Wilson. He is a native Nevadan who is active in the Las Vegas community.
Bingham has served on the commission since his appointment by Gov. Bob Miller in 1997. He served 12 years as a Clark County commissioner and has been involved in water issues since his appointment by Governor Richard Bryan to the Deep Carbonate Aquifer Committee.