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The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (CNRWA) and Humboldt River Basin Water Authority (HRBWA) were recently granted $15 million to purchase and retire groundwater rights from willing sellers. 

Applications are now open for willing sellers to apply to voluntarily retire their water rights in these basins.

The program, the Nevada Water Conservation and Infrastructure Initiative, is meant to purchase and permanently retire groundwater rights from willing sellers in groundwater basins with insufficient water supply to serve all water rights and domestic wells. 

Funding is to be used for over-appropriated and over-pumped groundwater basins in the Central Hydrographic Region and Humboldt River Basin. 

Applications for the Humboldt River Basin are available here: https://hrbwa.com/grrp/

Applications for the  Central Nevada Hydrographic Region are available here: https://cnrwa.com/grrp/

Applications are also available in most member county administrative offices.

The deadline to apply is January 22, 2024. 

A list of over-pumped and over-appropriated basins is online here: https://cnrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Over-pumped-and-over-aproppriated-groundwater-basisns-11_22_23.pdf

Over-pumped basins are allocated $900 per acre-foot, and over-appropriated basins that are not over-pumped are valued at $350 per acre-foot. Water rights in the Diamond Valley Basin are valued at $800 per acre-foot. 

“The program addresses and avoids conflicts with existing rights or detriments to the public interest and natural resources,” said Jeff Fontaine, the Initiative’s director. “Retiring groundwater rights will help stabilize groundwater levels.”

Funding priorities are for retiring irrigation rights in over-pumped basins subject to curtailment. Purchasing groundwater rights in other over-appropriated basins will also be considered if such purchases mitigate conflicts with existing rights or if there are detriments to natural resources.

Groundwater right holders in the portions of the Humboldt River Basin and Central Hydrographic Region located in CNRWA and HRBWA member counties are eligible to apply. Those counties include Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Nye, Pershing and White Pine.

“We encourage those interested in retiring their water rights in these basins to apply sooner rather than later, as it is expected that available funds will exceed the program’s demand,” Fontaine added.

Additional information is available online: https://cnrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Water-Rights-Retirement-Program-FAQ-final11_14_23.pdf

Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA, BIB, or BIL) are flowing to Nevada through the State Revolving Fund programs.  The Priority List for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is now open. Capital Projects must be on the priority lists to receive funding from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This is your chance to get on the list to be eligible for funding.  Pre-applications are being accepted until May 11, 2022 through the Nevada Infrastructure Financial System (NIFS).  Eligible systems are asked to sign up with NIFS and submit their applications as soon as possible. Click here for more information.

BIB is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure for our communities. Funds that will benefit water or wastewater systems will flow through the State Revolving Fund programs. The Office of Financial Assistance (OFA) is working closely with EPA to understand amounts available, program requirements, and funding timelines. To stay current as the discussion changes, please subscribe to the email list at the bottom of this announcement.

The Office of Financial Assistance (OFA) will be conducting a listening session virtually on Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 1:30pm – 3:00pm PT. This will be an opportunity to hear what OFA knows about today and what you can do to be ready to receive funding.

How to access the listening session:
Join the meeting:https://call.lifesizecloud.com/4155018
Join the Lifesize meeting using Skype for Business:https://skype.lifesizecloud.com/4155018
Click to call from Mobile (audio only)United States: +1 (877) 422-8614,, 4155018#Call in by Phone (audio only)United States: +1 (877) 422-8614Meeting extension: 4155018#
Additional phone numbers:https://call.lifesize.com/numbers
Other ways to call:https://call.lifesize.com/otherways/4155018

Presenter: Jason B. Cooper, Administrative Services Officer of the Office of Financial Assistance
Cost: Complimentary. 
Who Should Attend: water utility managers, wastewater utility manager, storm water managers, municipal board members, government finance officers, elected officials, consulting engineers, fiscal advisors and others interested in clean and safe water for their communities!

For more information contact the Office of Financial Assistance at:

https://ndep.nv.gov/water/financing-infrastructure

(775) 687-9436

Nevada Division of Water Resources releases online public survey providing all Nevadans with the opportunity to share their input and perspectives to help inform the next State Water Plan. 

Nov. 9, 2021. Today, the Nevada Division of Water Resources released a survey to gather input from the public on all aspects of water management in Nevada to help guide development of an updated State Water Plan. The survey is available online at https://tinyurl.com/298wbedznow through December 15, 2021.  

The new State Water Plan will serve as a high-level policy and planning guide focused on addressing Nevada’s many complex water challenges, including the increasing demand for limited water resources, floods, prolonged drought, dam safety, and sustainment of our wetlands and freshwater ecosystems – all within the over-arching context of Nevada’s rapidly growing population and the accelerating impacts of climate change occurring in all corners of the state.   

“Nevada is in a critical time of water management,” said Adam Sullivan, State Engineer/Nevada Division of Water Resources Administrator. “As the driest and one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, the demands on our limited water resources make thoughtful and strategic water management in Nevada more important than ever. We look forward to engaging with Nevada’s communities and gaining key insights through the State Water Plan public survey to support a sustainable, vibrant water future in the years ahead.” 

For more information or to complete the public survey, visit https://tinyurl.com/298wbedz.