The Southern Nevada Water Authority will face a few major tests this year in its plans to provide water for Las Vegas.

The agency wants to draw water from rural areas in eastern Nevada and then pipe it more than 300 miles to Las Vegas. The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft environmental impact statement on the plan and is taking comments before deciding whether to let the agency move forward. The state engineer, who oversees water permits in Nevada, will hold hearings on the plan this year and will determine how much, if any, water the agency can draw.

The fact remains that if Southern Nevada is to have a future, it will need more water. Lake Mead provides 90 percent of the water for Clark County, and with the entire Colorado River still struggling from years of drought, Southern Nevada needs to find new sources.

The Water Authority has done an admirable job managing the water it has and working with other agencies in the Colorado River basin to find ways to save, store and move water.

Already, the Water Authority maximizes its draw from the Colorado River with an extensive conservation and reuse program. But the bottom line is that more water is needed.

Nonetheless, over the years that the agency has developed the plan, it has attracted no shortage of critics who see it as a danger to the rural areas. During the BLM’s public comment period and the state engineer’s hearings, the plan will certainly be tested.

Critics have challenged the agency’s plan, making an issue of potential environmental impacts in the areas where water will be drawn. But the Water Authority has laid out a strong management plan, and between the plan and state law, there are plenty of checks and balances to mitigate those concerns. It is worth noting that the Water Authority has agreed to manage the project with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the BLM and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It has also worked with several other agencies in making its plans.

Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Water Authority, told the Las Vegas Sun’s editorial board last week that although the agency is trying to get approval, it doesn’t plan to immediately break ground on the $3.2 billion project. Water managers want to be prepared to undertake the project when it is absolutely needed.

Mulroy said the project is intended to protect the health and safety of Southern Nevada — it would not only provide needed water but would also help the economy. She pointed to two studies that have shown even the impression of an insufficient water supply in the region could lead to a 10 percent decline in economic activity.

The Water Authority has done its homework and studied a variety of alternative ways to bring water to Southern Nevada, but there is no other viable alternative. The bottom line is this is a sensible and reasonable plan, and it is essential it move forward to ensure Southern Nevada’s future.