Nevada has spent decades leading the West in Colorado River conservation, using less water, tightening restrictions and doing more than any other state relying on Lake Mead. And our reward? According to the Review-Journal’s Aug. 1 article, the federal government now plans to force Nevada to slash its allocation by one-third to two-thirds after 2028, while Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming get away with voluntary cuts only.

It looks as if Nevada is being punished precisely because it acted responsibly.

Gov. Joe Lombardo says these reductions are “unrealistic” and harmful to Nevada communities. But Nevadans deserve more than statements. We deserve a plan, and we deserve leaders willing to confront the federal government with the urgency this crisis demands.

Because let’s be honest: If Nevada is about to lose up to two-thirds of its water supply, then it is irresponsible to talk about building affordable housing, massive developments including data centers, new casinos, resorts, pools and expanded BLM land sales.

How can any leader advocate for acquiring more BLM land as a means of addressing housing affordability while ignoring the basic question of whether we will have enough water to support the people who live in this community and in those homes?

Every reporter covering development should be asking the question every single time: Where is the water going to come from after you complete this project or projects?

Nevadans have conserved. We’ve taken out grass, added xeriscape yards, we are on a water schedule. We’ve sacrificed. We’ve adapted. And now we’re being told to absorb the steepest cuts in the region while other states get a pass.

I don’t want to read another article about affordable housing or new mega-projects unless it includes the hard truth about water allotments—and demands answers from the people in charge. Growth without water is not a future. It’s a fantasy.