Central Nevada Regional Water Authority

CENTRAL NEVADA REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release

Contact: Steve Bradhurst, Executive Director Tel: 775.747.2038

CENTRAL NEVADA REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY VOTED AT A RECENT MEETING TO DO THE FOLLOWING: 1) APPROVE PERSHING COUNTY AS ITS EIGHTH MEMBER COUNTY, 2) RECOMMEND EVERY WATER BASIN IN A MEMBER COUNTY HAVE AN ADOPTED LAND USE PLAN, AND 3) RECOMMEND A LAND USE PLAN FOR A MEMBER COUNTY AND ANY CITY IN A MEMBER COUNTY BE BASED ON THE SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES WITHIN THE MEMBER COUNTY; HOWEVER, A LAND USE PLAN MAY BE BASED UPON ACQUISITION OF WATER RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE MEMBER COUNTY IF THE LAND USE PLAN HAS BEEN APPROVED BY A VOTE OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE MEMBER COUNTY AND/OR CITY WITHIN THE MEMBER COUNTY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LAND USE PLAN.

Directors of the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (Authority) recently (December 14, 2007) voted to accept Pershing County’s petition for membership, bringing the Authority’s representation to eight counties (Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lander, Nye, Pershing and White Pine Counties). The Authority is a unit of local government created in August 2005, and with Pershing County’s membership, the Authority covers approximately 60 percent of Nevada’s land area. The Authority’s mission is to 1) address water resource issues common to the eight counties in a collaborative and proactive manner, and 2) protect water resources in the eight county area so the area will not only have an economic future, but its valued quality of life and natural environment will be maintained.

At the same meeting the directors of the Authority unanimously approved a resolution that recommends the following: 1) every water basin in a member county have a land use plan, and 2) a land use plan for a member county and any city within a member county be based on the sustainable water resources within the member county; however, a land use plan may be based upon the acquisition of water resources outside the member county if the land use plan has been approved by a vote of the residents of the member county and/or city within the member county responsible for the land use plan.

The primary reason for recommending every water basin in a member county have a land use plan is the fact that the Nevada State Engineer makes the decision on interbasin transfer of groundwater, and the State Engineer cannot allow water to be transferred out of a basin if the groundwater is needed for the economic future of that basin; hence, the importance of having a land use plan for a water basin to show the State Engineer the water basin’s economic future.

The primary reason for recommending a land use plan for a member county and any city in a member county be based on the sustainable water resources within the member county is to bring land use planning into balance with known and identifiable water resources within the member county. The rapid growth in Nevada’s urban counties and cities has shown that an effective link is lacking between adopted land use plans and the sustainable water supplies within these entities to implement the land use plans. The Authority hopes all Nevada counties and their cities take the appropriate steps to incorporate this recommendation into law; that is, every Nevada county and any city in a county should bring their land use plans into balance with known and identifiable water resources within their county. The recommendation does say a land use plan may be based upon the acquisition of water resources outside a county if the land use plan has been approved by a vote of the residents of the county and/or city within the county responsible for the land use plan. The reason for this provision is the fact that when local governments import water from outside their county the cost of doing that is significant, and a good portion of the cost will be paid by the residents of the county acquiring the water, not growth; hence, the people who are going to pay the bill should approve the land use plan that will cause the water importation project.

For more information about the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority and this News Release please contact Steve Bradhurst,Executive Director, Central Nevada Regional Water Authority.