LAS VEGAS — More than 25 tribal leaders from four states will gather today to issue a joint statement asking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to deny the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) proposed groundwater pipeline project application.

“Imagine your life without water. Tribes throughout the West may not have to imagine it much longer — if the ill-advised SNWA’s pipeline project is approved it will become their reality,” a press release from The Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation said.

According to the release, substantial scientific information shows the SNWA’s proposed pipeline project would catastrophically disrupt the hydrological and ecological systems of tribal aboriginal lands, resulting in wide-ranging groundwater problems that would trigger profound negative impacts on the environmental, economic, cultural and spiritual aspects of the tribal way of life.

Among the tribes that will join in the protest are:

• Chemehuevi Indian tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation in California

• Colorado River Indian tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation in Arizona and California

• Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation in Nevada and Utah

• Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California

• Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation in Nevada

• Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada

• Fort Mojave Indian Tribe of Arizona, California and Nevada

• Hualapai Indian tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Arizona

• Kaibab band of the Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation in Arizona

• Las Vegas tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony in Nevada

• Moapa band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation in Nevada

• Paiute Indian tribe of Utah (consisting of Cedar City band of Paiutes, Kanosh band of Paiutes, Koosharem band of Paiutes, Indian Peaks band of Paiutes and Shivwits band of Paiutes)

• Shoshone-Paiute tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada

• Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada (consisting of the Battle Mountain band, Elko band, South Fork band and Wells band)

• Yomba Shoshone tribe of the Yomba Reservation in Nevada