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Elko County Nevada Water Resource Management Plan 2017

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Elko County Nevada Water Resource Management Plan 2017 Echo Lake - Ruby Mountains Elko County Board of Commissioners Elko County Natural Resource Management Advisory Commission December 6, 2017 Executive Summary The Elko County Water Resource Management Plan has been prepared to guide the development, management and use of water resources in conjunction with land use management over the next twenty-five (25) years. Use by decision makers of information contained within this plan will help to ensure that the environment of the County is sustained while at the same time enabling the expansion and diversification of the local economy. Implementation of the Elko County Water Resource Management Plan will assist in maintaining the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors of Elko County now and in the future. Achievement of goals outlined in the plan will result in water resources found within Elko County being utilized in a manner beneficial to the residents of Elko County and the State of Nevada. The State of Nevada Water Plan represents that Elko County will endure a loss of population and agricultural lands over the next twenty-five years. Land use and development patterns prepared by Elko County do not agree with this estimated substantial loss of population and agricultural lands. The trends show that agricultural uses in Elko County are stable with minimal notable losses each year. Development patterns represent that private lands that are not currently utilized for agricultural are being developed in cooperation and conjunction with agricultural uses. In 2007, Elko County was the largest water user in the State of Nevada. However, by 2010 Clark County surpassed Elko County as the largest water user among Nevada's 17 counties. The 2010 Census shows Elko County's population grew to 48,818 but the water use fell from 23.2% to 14% of the estimated total water withdrawals within Nevada. The largest of the water users being agriculture irrigation at approximately 94% or 335.4 Mgal/day down from 97% in 2007. Current water use in Elko County including domestic, recreation, commercial, industrial, mining, livestock and irrigated agriculture is estimated to be approximately 253,160 Mgal/day (millions of gallons per day) annually or 24% of the total state wide use. The State of Nevada Demographer and State of Nevada Division of Water Planning has provided estimates and forecast representing a decrease in population and a loss of agricultural lands in Elko County through 2026. Forecasts and estimates based on development patterns provided by Elko County represents continued growth of population, anticipated commercial and industrial growth, projected numbers of tourists visiting Elko County annually and sustained or minimal loss of agricultural lands. Should these estimates and forecasts come to realization annual water duties in Elko County could increase for domestic, commercial and municipal/ industrial consumptive uses by as much as 100 acre feet annually? However, this also represents a loss of Agricultural lands averaging 0.1% annually. Assuming that all of the elements of the economic and forecasted populations are achieved, the total water use in the year 2025 may exceed 918,000 acre feet annually. This represents a decrease of 1.6% primarily due to the loss of agricultural lands. Studies conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that the quantity of groundwater being lost to evapotranspiration is generally more than double than that estimated in previous evaluations. Hydrographic Analysis Reports of this plan suggest that recharge over the specific areas of Elko County is significantly greater than previous estimates. However, research and analysis is characterized by considerable uncertainty and additional confirmation is required. The implications for this water plan are that more water is available and may be made available for development and use within Elko County. This mandates that additional Hydrographic Analysis Reports are necessary for the upper Humboldt River basin as well as all basins and hydrographic areas in Elko County to determine perennial yields based on current technology. i TABLE OF CONTENTS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. i EXECUTIVE INDEX ............................................................................................................................. ii ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS .................................................................................. vi WATER EQUIVALENT TABLE .......................................................................................... vii AUTHORS .......................................................................................................................... vii ELKO COUNTY APPROVAL AND ADOPTION……………………………………………….. ix SECTION 1…………………………………………………………………………………………. SECTION 2…………………………………………………………………………………………. SECTION 1 - PLAN DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION Introduction . S1 P 1 Institutional Framework & History . S1 P 3 History . S1 P 3 Elko County Board Of Commissioners . S1 P 3 Elko County Water Planning Commission . S1 P 3 Composition Of The Water Planning Commission. S1 P 4 Elko County Natural Resource Management Advisory Commission . S1 P 5 Mission Statement . S1 P 5 Planning Data Criteria . S1 P 5 Plan Areas . S1 P 6 Goals And Objectives . S1 P 7 Plan Goals . S1 P 7 Plan Objectives . S1 P 7 Guiding Principles . S1 P 8 Demographics . S1 P 9 Geographics . S1 P 9 County Climate & Precipitation . S1 P10 State Climate & Precipitation . S1 P11 Geology & Soils . S1 P12 Vegetation . S1 P13 Land Mass . S1 P14 County Populations . S1 P15 Municipal Boundaries . S1 P15 Land Use . S1 P16 Agriculture . S1 P16 Residential . S1 P17 Commercial . S1 P17 Industrial . S1 P17 Recreation . S1 P18 Natural Resources, Mining & Exploration . S1 P19 Private Ownership & Development . S1 P19 Transportation . S1 P20 Nevada & Elko County Public Land Use History . S1 P21 ii Western Settlements Of Public Lands . S1 P21 Socioeconomic Overview . S1 P22 History . S1 P22 Geography & Hydrology . S1 P26 Water Resources & Uses . S1 P28 Section 1 Summary Conclusions . S1 P31 SECTION 2 - Water Resource Management Nevada Water Law . S2 P 2 Socioeconomic Characteristics . S2 P 3 County Population Forecasts . S2 P 5 Regional Hydrographic Data. S2 P 7 Regional Hydrogeologic Features . .. S2 P 7 Snake River Basin . S2 P 9 Humboldt River Basin. S2 P10 Central Region . S2 P11 Great Salt Lake Basin . S2 P11 Hydrographic Basin Data . S2 P12 Local Hydrographic Data . .. S2 P14 Committed & Un-Committed Groundwater Resources . S2 P14 Snake River Basin . S2 P16 Humboldt River Basin . S2 P16 Central Region Basin . S2 P17 Great Salt Lake Basin . S2 P17 Domestic Well Inventories . S2 P18 Un-Incorporated Town Rural Communities Municipal Resource Availability. S2 P20 Permitted Towns /Rural /Municipal / Quasi-Municipal / Domestic. S2 P21 Incorporated Towns And Cities Permitted Water Resources. S2 P21 Rural Communities And Areas Domestic Water Resources. S2 P22 Elko County Water Use Forecast . S2 P23 Estimated and Forecasted Water Resource Use and Consumption. S2 P24 Development Considerations . S2 P24 Water Resource and Conservation Education . S2 P25 Drought Conditions . ..
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