Jeff Fontaine

Lydia Snow
Nov 17, 2025 Elko Daily Free Press

WINNEMUCCA — Nevada State Engineer Adam Sullivan met with Nevada
Farm Bureau members at their annual meeting in Winnemucca on
Thursday, sharing with them a statement from the state Division of Water Resources
regarding Humboldt River water management issues.
“The system is over-allocated, meaning more water rights exist than the river and
aquifers can reliably supply. Groundwater pumping near the river reduces surface
flows, creating real and immediate conflicts between junior groundwater water right
holders and senior surface water right holders,” the statement said.
“To address this imbalance, Nevada Division of Water Resources may be required to
take legal action. If no alternatives are implemented, the Division could issue a
curtailment order based on water right priority, requiring some users to reduce or
stop groundwater pumping altogether.”
The statement said curtailment is the “primary tool” the state can use in these
instances.
“That’s why NDWR is preparing to release a draft curtailment order — not as a final
decision, but as a starting point for public input and local solutions.” It said this
could give an idea of what curtailment could do and help shape “practical,
community-driven alternatives before any final decisions are made.”
“For the past two years, a diverse group of stakeholders have been working with
NDWR to explore community-driven alternatives, such as conservation districts or
offset programs that could implement mitigation strategies. These efforts aim to
protect water rights while being realistic about water availability and minimizing
economic disruption,” the statement said.
It said the draft is a proposed action by NDWR to reduce groundwater pumping in
areas where it’s harming senior surface water rights.
NDWR noted how the draft would allow officials “to be open about their approach,
invite public feedback and encourage community-led alternatives.” It also could
indicate when curtailment would be implemented, where it would be put in place
and the options water users may have.
“This is not about imposing cuts — it’s about working together to avoid them where
possible,” NDWR said. “No one is being ordered to reduce water.”
It said the draft order would would be in effect until after the 2027 legislative
session. Then a final version “would be ready to come out as a full-fledged order,”
Doug Busselman from Nevada Farm Bureau said.
For more information, visit https://water.nv.gov/programs/humboldt.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released its Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report January 1, 2025. Nevada’s NRCS Snow Survey Program provides mountain snowpack data and streamflow forecasts across the state and the Eastern Sierra. This information is valuable for conservation planning, water supply management, flood control, drought and avalanche prediction, climate modeling, and recreation, especially for the Humboldt River Basin.  It is published monthly from January to May.  First of month data are summarized and used to forecast summer streamflow. Water year 2025 is off to a good start, however, it is still too early to predict whether we will have a repeat of  the above median peak snowpacks of 2023 and 2024.  Below are January 1 conditions for the Upper and Lower Humboldt Basins:

• Snowpack in the Upper Humboldt River Basin is well above normal at 143% of median, compared to 84% at this time last year. Precipitation in December was well above normal at 139%, which brings the seasonal accumulation (October-December) to 112% of median. Soil moisture is at 35% saturation compared to 50% saturation last year.  
• Snowpack in the Lower Humboldt River Basin is well above normal at 149% of median, compared to 74% at this time last year. Precipitation in December was about normal at 107%, which brings the seasonal accumulation (October-December) to 117% of median. Soil moisture is at 51% saturation compared to 60% saturation last year. Reservoir storage is 54% of capacity, compared to 35% last year.  

Click here to join the NRCS email subscription list.

Key Points

• Substantial snow water equivalent (SWE) deficits emerged across areas in the Rocky Mountains, where above-average temperatures and drought persisted into the new water year.
• Snow drought is most prevalent across Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Montana. Low precipitation is driving snow drought across these states. 
• An active weather pattern across the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada in November buffered snowpack conditions despite a recent multi-week dry spell. 
• Temperature will play a key role in snow drought development. Current National Weather Service outlooks favor above-normal temperatures for all of the western states through December. 
• Early season snow drought conditions can change rapidly, especially at lower elevations with increased variability in weather patterns during late fall and early winter. Early in the season, snow drought recovery can be rapid. Recovery from snow drought in late winter and early spring, when snowpack is typically near peak, can be slower. 

The rest of this snow drought update is available at: https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2024-12-11