March 28th, 2024 by Jeff Fontaine
Nominations are now open for individuals to serve on a formal Stakeholder Working Group, which will be assisting the Nevada Division of Water Resources in identifying and evaluating measures that individually can reduce capture of the river by pumping, and collectively maximize the potential to serve senior surface water rightholders within the Humboldt River basin (i.e., develop a comprehensive conjunctive management strategy).
The formal Stakeholder Working Group will be comprised of representatives nominated by the larger group of stakeholders participating to date. Individuals may nominate themselves or others to participate as part of the formal Working Group in any of the categories listed in the attachment.
Click here to read NDWR’s release.
Nominations must be submitted to Levi Kryder (lkryder@water.nv.gov) by 5:00 pm on April 16, 2024.
March 11th, 2024 by Jeff Fontaine
Snowpack in the Upper Humboldt River Basin is well above normal at 149% of median, compared to 166% at this time last year. Precipitation in February was well above normal at 188%, which brings the seasonal accumulation (October-February) to 126% of median. Soil moisture is at 65% saturation compared to 56% saturation last year. Snowpack in the Lower Humboldt River Basin is well above normal at 146% of median, compared to 158% at this time last year. Precipitation in February was well above normal at 218%, which brings the seasonal accumulation (October-February) to 133% of median. Soil moisture is at 67% saturation compared to 46% saturation last year. Reservoir storage is 43% of capacity, compared to 5% last year. March 1 forecasts in the Humboldt Basin range from 141-508% as a percent of median, or as expressed as a percent of average forecasts are 124-192%. These percentages point toward another strong runoff this spring and summer. This winter’s snowpack is very strong but still far below last year’s peak snow amounts. The Humboldt River generally has better runoff volumes when the system is primed by back-to-back above normal years. Examples include 1982-1984, 1996-1998 and 2005-2006. Each of these periods saw greater runoff volumes during the second and third years with above normal snowpacks. Click here to read the full Report.
December 3rd, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
Nevada Division of Water Resources staff have been reviewing presentations and recordings from the series of meetings held on August 1, September 6, and September 26, 2023, and are compiling the key points and ideas for further analysis and consideration. Staff have also been reviewing the reports documenting the groundwater flow models for the upper, middle, and lower Humboldt regions. Evaluation of Stream Capture Related to Groundwater Pumping, Upper Humboldt River Basin, Nevada (Carroll et al. 2023) has been published as Bulletin 49 and Groundwater Discharge from Phreatophyte Vegetation, Humboldt River Basin, Nevada (Huntington et al. 2022) has been published as Bulletin 48, both of which are available on the NDWR website. The remaining model reports are still in review and will be similarly published when they are released.
The next meeting to update stakeholders on DWR’s analysis and ideas they believe can be implemented in the near term, longer term, and those that will require legislative action to move forward will be held at 1:00 pm on March 19, 2024, at the NDWR office and via Microsoft Teams.
Click here to read the full announcement.
October 11th, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (CNRWA) and Humboldt River Basin Water Authority (HRBWA) recently approved funding to purchase and retire groundwater rights from willing sellers. Click here to read the press release.
April 12th, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
Pursuant to Governor Lombardo’s Executive Order 2023-003, all Executive Branch agencies, boards, and
commissions must conduct a comprehensive review of the regulations subject to their enforcement and
provide a report to the Governor’s office by May 1, 2023, detailing how the regulations may be
streamlined, clarified, reduced, or otherwise improved to provide for the general welfare of the State
without inhibiting economic growth. The Executive Order further requires these agencies, boards, and
commissions to recommend at least ten (10) regulations for removal/repeal. Finally, the Executive Order
requires each agency, board, and commission to hold a public hearing to obtain industry stakeholder
feedback regarding recommended regulatory changes.
After review of its regulations, the Division proposes to rescind the provisions of NAC Chapter 532 related to administrative hearings. The Division will be holding an in-person and virtual workshop on April 16th at 9:30 to receive comments from all interested persons. Click here for more information.
March 21st, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
As required by Governor Lombardo’s Executive Order 2023-003, NDEP is undertaking a comprehensive review of the regulations subject to its enforcement and will be providing a report to the Governor’s office by May 1, 2023 “detailing how those regulations can be streamlined, clarified, or otherwise improved to ensure they provide for the general welfare of the State without unnecessarily inhibiting economic growth.” The report will provide recommendations for amendments and “a list of not less than ten (10) regulations recommended for removal, ranking them in descending order of priority”. Regulations administered by NDEP also include those that fall under the oversight or implementation of the State Environmental Commission, Board for Financing Water Projects, and Board to Review (Petroleum Fund) Claims.
NDEP encourages the review of their regulations of interest on their website for this effort at https://ndep.nv.gov/reg-review . To help NDEP understand input from stakeholders, they have set up an e-mail address at NDEPRegReview23@ndep.nv.gov where suggestions for revisions to regulations can be submitted. If you choose to provide input, please identify the regulation(s) for consideration, by NAC number if possible. NDEP will review submitted suggestions and reflect stakeholder input in the summary of findings and recommendations of the report if that input is received no later than March 31, 2023.
