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Nevada Today

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Yield Hearing Set For Nevada-California Dry Valley Water Basin

Dry Valley pronghorn

The Nevada State Water Engineer has set 9 a.m. Wednesday, January 20th for a video conference to hear from individuals interested in confirming or reestablishing the perennial yield for Dry Valley Hydrographic Basin (07-095) in Washoe County, Nevada.

The Dry Valley basin spans the border between Nevada and California.  Dry Valley includes the Dry  Valley creek, a tributary to the  Long  Valley  Creek.  The Long   Valley Creek,  a  fully appropriated and adjudicated stream, is a primary recharge source to California’s Honey Lake basin.

The perennial yield is the long-term amount of water that can be withdrawn yearly for beneficial use without depleting the groundwater reservoir.  While the yield must equal the natural recharge to a groundwater basin, it can be less. [i] The current perennial yield is 3,000 Acre Feet Yearly (AFY). However, the State engineer currently sets the manner of use for the underground portion of the Basin at  25.60 AFY. [ii]

According to the hearing authors, previous water resource investigations have made several different groundwater recharge estimates and discharges in Dry Valley. The authors say these investigations include peer-reviewed studies, consulting reports, groundwater modeling, empirical and statistical relationships, and correspondence among researchers.

Holders of existing rights and other interested parties are encouraged to submit  reports to  the  Office  of  the  State  Engineer  evaluating existing   studies  and  literature available  regarding  the perennial  yield of Dry Valley

Sometime after the hearing, The Nevada State Water Engineer will either confirm the current yield or establish a new one.

Endnotes:

[i] State Engineer’s Office, Water for Nevada State of Nevada Water Planning Report No. 3, October 1971, p. 13.

[ii] Hydrographic Area Summary, Area 095, Dry Valley, at: http://water.nv.gov/DisplayHydrographicGeneralReport.aspx?basin=095

About Author

Michael McGreer Mesquite, Nevada
Dr. Michael Manford McGreer is managing editor of Nevada-today.com and writes on issues that impact public policy.

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