HEARING
ommend that new wells in severely over-tapped groundwater basins be limited to a half-acre foot per year.
That change was put forth by the Nye County Water District as a response to groundwater concerns in Pahrump Valley, where there are some 11,000 domestic wells.
Oz Wickman with the water district said internal calculations by the district project 2,000 wells could go dry in the next 20 years unless steps are taken to bring the basin back into balance between recharge and use.
The half-acre foot wells would pertain to new wells only in severely over-appropriated basins and designated critical management areas.
Water has been the focus of numerous hearings and forums for the past year. Besides the legislative committee, Gov. Brian Sandoval convened a Nevada Drought Forum to make recommendations on how the driest state in the nation can better manage the resource.
State Sen. Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, tried to defuse anger percolating from the crowd estimated at 700.
“A lot of this may be just a little bit ahead of the horse,” the Eureka rancher and committee chairman said. He urged attendees to focus on the bigger issue and work toward solutions.
“Do you think we can continue the way we’re going?” Goicoechea asked. He said 20 percent of Nevada’s water basins are over-appropriated, meaning there is more water appropriated on paper than sources to supply it. Statewide, there are 55,000 domestic wells, and 56 of 256 basins are overtaxed.
The water subcommittee also issued statements recommending that local land-use decisions be tied to sustainable water supplies and that water management recognize the connection between surface and groundwater sources.
The subcommittee will support a bill authorizing the state engineer to suspend cancellation and forfeiture of water rights under the “use it or lose it” doctrine during times of water shortages.
Existing law requires water right holders to put their water to beneficial use or risk losing it to someone else. Critics argue that the mandate encourages waste and that conservation, especially during a drought, should be encouraged. Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Find @SandraChereb on Twitter.