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Proposed Clark County rules would bar data centers from karst, wetlands and prime farmland
Summary
The draft Section 749 would restrict data center locations — prohibiting siting on karst, requiring a 50-foot buffer from identified wetlands or prime farmland, and barring data centers from wellhead protection areas — and requires applicants to demonstrate water demand and impacts before approval.
The proposed Section 749.02 in Text Amendment ZA-2026-01 would forbid siting data centers on karst terrain and would bar placement within 50 feet of identified wetlands or USDA-defined prime farmland, according to staff presentation to the Rural Zoning Commission. Mrs. Stephanie Dunlap told the commission that the prime-farmland definition from the USDA had been added after the Planning Commission review and that applicants would have the burden of proving their projects would not affect sensitive uses.
The draft also prohibits use of wells as a water source and excludes siting within wellhead protection areas; applicants must provide water-demand and source information and show that discharged water would meet state water-quality standards. Commissioners questioned whether the county could realistically find sites that met all the restrictions and asked staff to coordinate with Soil and Water to map prime farmland and other constrained areas before projects advance.
