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Organization

Great Basin Water Network

The Great Basin Water Network, a Baker, Nevada nonprofit, fights pipelines and groundwater export; its board includes tribal members.

Kind
501(c)(3) nonprofit; mixed (board includes tribal members)
Native-led
mixed
Works with
Ely Shoshone, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute, Duckwater Shoshone, Paiute Tribe of Utah (partners)
Region
Great Basin; NV, UT
Focus
Water and land protection in eastern Nevada and western Utah; partnership with Great Basin tribes against water export
Registry
EIN 35-2278153 (ProPublica: Great Basin Water Network Inc, Baker NV, NTEE C32)

What happened

The Great Basin Water Network (GBWN) is a nonprofit based in Baker, Nevada. ProPublica lists it as Great Basin Water Network Inc under EIN 35-2278153, with tax exemption issued in August 2007. Its site says it was formed to protect the water resources of the Great Basin for residents, animals and plants. This is a water group, not a land-return organization.

GBWN's archive page describes its opposition to the Southern Nevada Water Authority's groundwater project: a 300-mile pipeline to move water from east-central Nevada and Utah's west desert to Las Vegas, projected to cost more than $15 billion. The archive says the project was initiated in 1989 and ended in 2020.

Its current campaigns include "Step Up for Steptoe Valley," against a pumped-hydropower proposal, and opposition to a Cedar City pipeline. The board page lists Tamra Borchardt-Slayton, chairwoman of the Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Tribe of Utah, and Rick and Delaine Spilsbury, members of the Ely Shoshone Tribe. The site thanks the Ely Shoshone, the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation and the Duckwater Shoshone for their support.

The home page says the Network is seeking an executive director; the former director, Kyle Roerink, is listed as senior advisor.

Good to know. A water-protection group with tribal members on its board, not a Native-led or land-return organization.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.

  1. The Great Basin Water Network (GBWN) was formed to protect the water resources of the Great Basin for residents, animals and plants.GBWN - Who We Are
  2. The project entailed construction of a 300-mile, 84" diameter pipelineGBWN archive - The Pipeline
  3. chairwoman of the Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Tribe of UtahGBWN - Staff and Board of Directors
  4. The Great Basin Water Network is seeking an Executive DirectorGBWN - Home
  5. Tax exemption issued: Aug. 2007ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Great Basin Water Network Inc

Research notes. Not described as Native-led; tribal members sit on the board and tribes are listed as supporters. Water focus, not land return. Donate page uses a third-party processor; payee not confirmed. The group is searching for an executive director, so leadership may change.

We have not verified this organization well enough to link to it. See our donation integrity policy.

Connections

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Works with 4

Works in 2

Sources

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The record’s fields
Vetting notes
2026-10-17: ProPublica hit; own site and board page read. Board page lists Ely Shoshone members and the Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Tribe of Utah chairwoman, but the group is not described as Native-led. Donate page links to a Keela processor; payee not confirmed. Water focus, not land return. Source: https://greatbasinwater.org/who-we-are/ ("GBWN is grateful for the support and friendship of the Ely Shoshone, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone")
Kind
Organization
Confidence
Low

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