Judge Yeager of the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County yesterday Ordered that the State Engineer’s Order 1309 issued June 15, 2020 is vacated in its entirety. Judge Yeager’s Order was on consolidated petitions for judicial review of Order 1309 filed by numerous Petitioners. Click here to read the FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND ORDER GRANTING PETITIONS FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW.
Drought Status Update for California-Nevada
Key Points
- January through March 2022 was the driest on record for these three months for much of California and Nevada. The dry end of the wet season leaves California and parts of Nevada in a third year of drought—with drought conditions worse in California than a year ago according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Since October 2019, the beginning of the current drought, much of the region is missing over half a year’s worth of normal precipitation. Some locations are missing as much as 1.25–1.75 years’ worth of precipitation.
- In NOAA’s spring outlook, for the second year in a row forecasters predict prolonged, persistent drought in the West, including California and Nevada. Significant wildland fire potential is forecasted for parts of the region starting in May.
- Drought impacts will continue to intensify and expand given a third dry year. Applying lessons learned from past droughts and drought preparedness are key.
Click here to read the April 8th Update.
NDEP schedules workshops on proposed regulations to classify waters of extraordinary ecological, aesthetic or recreational value and protection of surface waters
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (Division) will hold a series of official regulation amendment workshops on April 5-7, 2022 to solicit public comment and input on Legislative Council Bureau (LCB) Draft of Proposed Regulation R119-20 which sets forth a process for the State Environmental Commission to classify a surface water of the State or segment thereof as a water of extraordinary ecological, aesthetic or recreational value (EAW) and establishes provisions for antidegradation protection of Nevada surface water resources. The LCB Draft Proposed Regulation R119-20 is available at: https://cnrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NDEP-R119-20P.pdf
Click here to see the workshop notice.
CNRWA comments on Pine Valley Water Supply Project Draft EIS
The Central Iron County Water Conservancy District (CICWCD) filed an Application for Transportation and Utility Systems and Facilities on Federal Lands with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Cedar City Field Office (CCFO) for a proposed buried water pipeline project and related appurtenances referred to as the Pine Valley Water Supply project (PVWS). The PVWS project would consists of construction, operation and maintenance of well and pumping facilities, solar power generation site and facility, water transmission pipeline and other related appurtenances, a water storage facility and the terminus of the pipeline that would connect wells in Pine Valley to the Cedar Valley system. CNRWA expressed concern that future pumping in Pine and Wah Wah Valleys as part of the Pine Valley Water Supply Project is projected to have long term effects on three groundwater basins in the Central Region: Dry Lake, Lake Valley and Spring Valley and concluded that the only acceptable action is the No Action Alternative and a withdrawal of the DEIS by the BLM.
You can read CNRWA’s comments here.
Round Mountain Gold Corporation 2021 Annual Report Presented to Nevada Division of Water Resources
On March 3rd Round Mountain Gold Corporation presented their 2021 annual report to the Nevada Division of Water Resources. The report describes groundwater conditions and overall water management associated with mining, milling and ancillary activities in Nye County, Nevada as required by the terms of their current water rights permits and their approved Monitoring Plan. RMGC operates in the Big Smoky Valley-North hydrographic basin (Basin No. 137b). Click here to read the report.
NDEP issues permit for lithium brine pilot plant in Clayton Valley
The Administrator of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection has decided to issue new Water Pollution Control Permit NEV2020114 to Schlumberger Technology Corporation (STC). This Permit authorizes the construction, operation, and closure of approved mining facilities in Esmeralda
County, Nevada. The Division has been provided with sufficient information, in accordance with Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 445A.350 through 445A.447, to assure that the waters of the State will not be degraded by this operation, and that public safety and health will be protected. The Permit will become effective 2 March 2022. The final determination of the Administrator may be appealed to the State Environmental Commission pursuant to Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 445A.605 and NAC 445A.407. All requests for appeals must be filed by 5:00 PM, 25 February 2022.
For more information, contact Michelle Griffin at (775) 687-9405 or visit the Division public notice website at https://ndep.nv.gov/posts/category/land