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.
February 8th, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
The
February Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report is available and there is some encouraging news for the Humboldt Basin.
Snowpack in the Upper Humboldt River Basin is well above normal at 180% of median, compared to 78% at this time last year. Based on SNOTEL data back to 1981, the Upper Humboldt Basin has only seen more snow in 1997 and 1984. Precipitation in January was above normal at 119%, which brings the seasonal accumulation (October-January) to 148% of median. Snowpack in the Lower Humboldt River Basin is also well above normal at 176% of median, compared to 89% at this time last year. Precipitation in January was also well above normal at 152%, which brings the seasonal accumulation to 146% of median.
The lingering effects of drought add a level of uncertainty to just how good the runoff will be. In the Humboldt Basin observed streamflow volumes in water year 2022 were at or near record low for a number of gages. In order to go from record dry to record wet in one year, there are some key puzzle pieces that need to fit together. Mainly, the hydrologic system needs to become primed by the rapid melt-off of low elevation snow likely assisted by rain. An event similar to the flooding that occurred in February 2017 would improve baseflows and boost runoff off efficiency later in the spring allowing much of the snowmelt from higher elevations to reach the lower end of the Humboldt River. Click here to read the full Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report.
January 21st, 2023 by Jeff Fontaine
Per the Governor’s recent Executive Order Nevada Division of Environmental Protection regulations proposed for adoption by the State Environmental Commission (SEC) on January 19th were pulled from the meeting agenda.
The proposed regulations would establish provisions for antidegradation protection of surface waters of the State as required by NRS 445A.565, and to set forth a process for classifying certain surface waters of the State which have exceptional water quality condition, unique water quality characteristic, or ecological, aesthetic, or recreational value, as Ecological, Aesthetic or Recreational Waters (EAWs).
NDEP is evaluating the two regulations (R113-22 and R130-22) for potential exemption from the regulatory suspension under Section 5 of the EO 2023-003 and does not have a specific schedule for the exemption review of these two regulations.
