The State Engineer on August 27th issued Order 1302A to hold Order 1302, granting the petition to adopt a groundwater management plan for Diamond Valley in Eureka County, in abeyance pending outcome of an appeal at the Nevada Supreme Court.
State Engineer issues Order 1309, delineating the Lower White River Flow System and establishing maximum allowable pumping
The Nevada State Engineer today released Order 1309, delineating the Lower White River Flow System and establishing maximum allowing pumping. The following are highlights of the Order:
- Delineates the the Lower White River Flow System as a single hydrographic basin consisting of sub-basins: Kane Springs Valley, Coyote Spring Valley, Muddy River Springs Area, California Wash, Hidden Valley, Gamet Valley, and the northwest portion of the Black Mountains Area
- The maximum quantity of groundwater that may be pumped from the Lower White River Flow System Hydrographic Basin on an average annual basis cannot exceed 8,000 afa and may be less
- All applications for the movement of existing groundwater rights among sub-basins of the Lower White River Flow System Hydrographic Basin will be processed in accordance with NRS 533.370
- The temporary moratorium on the submission of final subdivision or other submission concerning development and construction submitted to the State Engineer for review established under Interim Order 1303 is hereby terminated
The State Engineer’s press release can be found here.
Public workshop on proposed amendments to NAC 533
The Division of Water Resources is hosting a virtual public workshop on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 9:00am to solicit comments from interested persons on proposed amendments to Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 533. The purpose of the workshop is to solicit comments from interested persons on the following general topics that may be addressed in the proposed regulations, which include:
Updating and amending regulations governing procedures for hearings before the Nevada Division of Water Resources and State Engineer.
Adopting regulations pursuant to Assembly Bill 62 of the 2019 Nevada Legislative Session, relating to applications for extensions of time to file a proof of construction of works and proof of beneficial use.
Adoption of regulations for the licensing of Nevada Licensed Water Right
Surveyors.
The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority provided comments on the proposed revisions to NAC 533 on November 27, 2019.
Clark County offers revisions to Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act
In a November 13th letter to Senator Cortez Masto, Clark County and the Southern Nevada Water Authority offer revisions regarding Sections 702 and 703 of the draft lands bill. The letter which is signed by County Commission Chair Marilyn Kirkpatrick states that they are offering additional clarifications to make it absolutely clear that nothing in these sections shall be interpreted to grant any rights-of-way for SNWA’s groundwater development project or to permit any public water agency to obtain title to federal lands for the purpose of constructing the groundwater development project referenced in right-of-way grant N-78803.
The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority was one of many organizations that had expressed concerns about Sections 702 and 703 in previous versions of SNEDCA. Click here for CNRWA’s letter.
Environmental groups argue lands bill will exempt Las Vegas pipeline from judicial review; water authority disagrees
By Daniel Rothberg, The Nevada Independent, August 27th, 2019