A documentary on the history of water in Southern Nevada that was a collaborative effort of UNLV's environmental studies department, the Clark County Conservation District, and television station KLVX recently was honored with an Emmy award.
"The Water Rules: A History of Water in the Las Vegas Valley" received a Southwestern Area Emmy from the San Diego chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences earlier this month. The award came in the category of historical/bibliographical program.
Producers Dan Garrison of KLVX and Allie Smith, UNLV's campus green coordinator in the department of environmental studies, attended the awards ceremony.
In June, Smith and Garrison were honored for the documentary at the National Education Association's annual convention with an Award for the Advancement of Learning through Broadcasting. Other winners included the History Channel, the A&E Network, and Home Box Office.
The documentary is divided into three sections. "A Day's Journey Without Water" tells of early explorers in the area and the hardships they endured before reaching the abundant springs at The Meadows (Las Vegas). The second section, "Cheapest Water in the West," explores life in the early years of the city -- from the coming of the railroad to the construction of Hoover Dam to the early development of the Las Vegas Strip. Finally, "The Law of the River" examines presentday dilemmas, including the city's incredible growth and the resulting demands put on local natural resources.
"The Water Rules" was created for use in high schools and to educate the community about past water supply and usage patterns and show how they have led to current supply and use. In addition to working on the film, Smith also wrote and edited a Teacher's Guide to accompany the video.
Much of the story gives first-person accounts from historic figures such as John C. Fremont and John Wesley Powell. Giving voice to those accounts are such notables as U.S. Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid, Gov. Bob Miller, and Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones. On-film interviews included those with Mike O'Callaghan, former governor and current editor of the Las Vegas Sun; Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District; and Janet Rogers, chair of the Colorado River Commission.
Funding for the project was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Clark County, Mirage Resorts Inc., the Lake Las Vegas Resort, the UNLV environmental studies department, KLVX, and AmeriCorps.
For additional information, call Smith at 895-4163.
