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Low water levels at Lahontan
Water rights in Nevada have been a hot topic for years, and this year is no different.
A three-man panel from the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts spoke to residents about the status of water allocation at the Fallon Convention Center.
District 35 State Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, State Engineer Jason King and the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority Executive Director Steve Bradhurst gave a presentation and answered questions ranging from residential growth to agriculture concerns.
According to Goicoechea, Churchill County will continue to be impacted by domestic wells along the Carson River, which runs from Douglas County to Carson and through Lyon and into Churchill County. Goicoechea said illegal domestic wells and siphoning of water from the Carson River will impact the flow to Churchill County.
“If we continued to move ahead with unpermitted wells, especially along the banks of the Carson, Truckee and Walker rivers, ultimately there will come a day where it reverses the flow of that river system,” Goicoechea said.
Nevada has 256 hydrographic basins with 45 of those basins labeled over appropriated, which means the amount of water used for residential, commercial or agriculture use is not refilling back to the predesignated level.
They also spoke of hopes for a big snowfall this winter, which then would melt in spring and help replenish the basins and aquifers around the state.
“A priority is domestic wells,” King said. “One idea is to limit the depth of domestic wells.”
The state has about 50 basins collecting data of water levels around the state. However, data from more than 200 wells is not being collected, and King must rely on residents to report and show evidence of nonpermitted activity.
“We are going to have to have a couple good winters,” Goicoechea said. “Drought has a real impact.”
Goicoechea added conservation will be a big part of saving water and replenishing the basins. He hopes to get more water from the Truckee Canal as the current rate is 300 cubic feet per second.
Goicoechea said he hopes the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can help with increasing the flow of the canal to 700 cfs so the county can have access to the water it needs.
“If we don't recharge through the Carson (River) and Truckee Canal, you will have a groundwater problem in Fallon,” Goicoechea said.
A goal for Bradhurst is to identify a sustainable and perennial yield with help from the U.S. Geological Survey. Bradhurst feels help from the USGS would benefit Nevada because they are susceptible to lobbying from special interest groups.
Of course, the biggest aspect for water conservation, according to Bradhurst, is continuous data collection to monitor the wells and flow of rivers, streams, aquifers and lakes. Bradhurst said he would also like to see state and local governments plan for the future when deciding on plans for new developments in urban areas like Reno and Las Vegas.
A three-man panel from the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts spoke to residents about the status of water allocation at the Fallon Convention Center.
District 35 State Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, State Engineer Jason King and the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority Executive Director Steve Bradhurst gave a presentation and answered questions ranging from residential growth to agriculture concerns.
According to Goicoechea, Churchill County will continue to be impacted by domestic wells along the Carson River, which runs from Douglas County to Carson and through Lyon and into Churchill County. Goicoechea said illegal domestic wells and siphoning of water from the Carson River will impact the flow to Churchill County.
“If we continued to move ahead with unpermitted wells, especially along the banks of the Carson, Truckee and Walker rivers, ultimately there will come a day where it reverses the flow of that river system,” Goicoechea said.
Nevada has 256 hydrographic basins with 45 of those basins labeled over appropriated, which means the amount of water used for residential, commercial or agriculture use is not refilling back to the predesignated level.
They also spoke of hopes for a big snowfall this winter, which then would melt in spring and help replenish the basins and aquifers around the state.
“A priority is domestic wells,” King said. “One idea is to limit the depth of domestic wells.”
The state has about 50 basins collecting data of water levels around the state. However, data from more than 200 wells is not being collected, and King must rely on residents to report and show evidence of nonpermitted activity.
“We are going to have to have a couple good winters,” Goicoechea said. “Drought has a real impact.”
Goicoechea added conservation will be a big part of saving water and replenishing the basins. He hopes to get more water from the Truckee Canal as the current rate is 300 cubic feet per second.
Goicoechea said he hopes the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can help with increasing the flow of the canal to 700 cfs so the county can have access to the water it needs.
“If we don't recharge through the Carson (River) and Truckee Canal, you will have a groundwater problem in Fallon,” Goicoechea said.
A goal for Bradhurst is to identify a sustainable and perennial yield with help from the U.S. Geological Survey. Bradhurst feels help from the USGS would benefit Nevada because they are susceptible to lobbying from special interest groups.
Of course, the biggest aspect for water conservation, according to Bradhurst, is continuous data collection to monitor the wells and flow of rivers, streams, aquifers and lakes. Bradhurst said he would also like to see state and local governments plan for the future when deciding on plans for new developments in urban areas like Reno and Las Vegas.
