Wally Spencer left his position as a rocket designer to pursue oil exploration. He used several images from space shuttle flights, Wally discovered what he believed to be an ancient riverbed in the southern Nevada desert. Ancient riverbeds have been indicators of underground oil resevoirs. Wally built himself a radiation detecting device. Radaition detecting equipment has been a proven technique for finding underground liquids. He attached the equipment to his 4x4 pickup truck and hit the desert. After a while, he found a big area that needed further exploring. After months of exploring, he dicided he had found a large underground river, not oil. He guesses that the start of the river is probably in British Columbia. He figures this due to the fact that British Columbia is littered with underground rivers and lakes. He figures that two or more of these underground rivers merge together as they approach Nevada. He thinks that this river meanders its way into the Pacific Ocean.
This is the major problem, he wants the government to promise not to charge the citizens for the water once it is drilled. They would do no such thing. Also, they want him to tell them where the location is in order to give him a apermit to drill for it. Either way they would find out where the water is, and Wally would probably end up with nothing. But Wally is so sure of himself, that he will put up $145,000 of his own money to pay for a twelve hole test drilling. The catch is that if he does this, the government has to promise not to issue any other drilling permits around his secret site. He originally wanted a big finders fee (few million dollars) if the water is there, which the government did not seem to want to pay. but he gave up this idea, as long as the government will not charge the citizens for the water.
The government is trying to sort everything out right now. They are trying to decide who gets what, if an agreement can be reached. The government now knows that they will not find out where the subterenean river lies unless an agreement is made. They have tried everything to find out. Wally has had bugs (listening devices) planted in his house numerous times by unknown government agencies. He knows better than to ever talk about the location of his find. He is just waiting for the day when everything is settled and he can drill for his water. He is now in his seventies and who knows, if an agreement is not made sometime in the near future, he may take this information to the grave with him.
