Silver Dollars & wooden nickels: Carson and its neighbors deserve praise for water agreement

The Nevada Appeal's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.

Silver Dollar: A toast of clean drinking water to Carson City, Douglas County and the Town of Minden for their historic water agreement that was formalized last week.

Although Carson City water users will see rates increase, users will benefit by obtaining cleaner water in greater abundance.

The project's first phase includes construction of a $13 million pipeline that will tie Minden to north Douglas County and the Indian Hills General Improvement District as well as to Carson City. Carson's portion of the project will cost $5.6 million. Work is scheduled to begin here this summer and end in fall 2011.

By blending good quality groundwater from the Carson Valley with water from some of the city's wells containing arsenic and uranium, Carson can meet new federal water standards without having to build treatment plants that could cost as much as $40 million.

Silver Dollar: Highway deaths in Nevada decreased for the fourth consecutive year, according to state traffic safety officials.

Officials say 243 people died in crashes on Nevada highways in 2009, a drop of 81 from the 2008 number. The number has dropped steadily in recent years since 431 people were killed in 2006. In response to that year's death toll, several agencies started working together on a traffic safety plan that included better enforcement of seat belt and impaired driving laws.

Wooden Nickel: One week into the new year, gas prices surged past 2009 highs as winter storms and a flood of speculative money sent oil prices higher.

Nationwide, the average gallon of gas is just under $2.71. In Nevada, the average price per gallon is $2.81, up from $1.85 per gallon in January 2009.

• Editor's note: Do you have a suggestion for a Silver Dollar or Wooden Nickel award? Send your idea to

editor@nevadaappeal.com