2010 – 2030 Water Resource Plan December 2009 Table of Contents Table of Contents........................................................................................................................1 List of Figures.............................................................................................................................3 List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................4 Abbreviations..............................................................................................................................5 Key Findings and Recommendations...........................................................................................7 Chapter 1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................15 Background of Water Resource Planning for the Truckee Meadows......................................17 Factors Affecting Truckee Meadows Water Resources..........................................................21 Economic Conditions and Water Rights.........................................................................21 State Legislative Changes..............................................................................................30 Water Purveyor Integration/Consolidation.....................................................................30 Historic Uncertainties – Negotiated River Settlement and the Truckee River Operating Agreement (“TROA”) .......................................................................................................33 Summary...............................................................................................................................36 Chapter 2 Source Water Reliability ...........................................................................................37 Weather.................................................................................................................................37 Climate Change .............................................................................................................37 Winter Time Cloud Seeding ..........................................................................................38 Droughts........................................................................................................................39 Source Water Contamination.................................................................................................43 TMWA Source Water Quality Assurance Program........................................................43 Source Water Protection Program..................................................................................47 Summary...............................................................................................................................53 Chapter 3 Water Resource Management and Production ...........................................................54 Water Rights .........................................................................................................................54 Water Production and Facilities.............................................................................................62 Chalk Bluff Treatment Plant (“CTP”)............................................................................62 Glendale Treatment Plant (“GTP”) ................................................................................64 Production Wells ...........................................................................................................65 Conjunctive Operation of Surface and Groundwater Resources.............................................68 Summary...............................................................................................................................76 References ............................................................................................................................77 Chapter 4 Water Demand and Peak Day Projections..................................................................78 Water Demand Factors..........................................................................................................78 Population and Economy...............................................................................................78 Logistic Curve Model....................................................................................................81 Data Construction and Trends ...............................................................................................85 Statistical Analysis................................................................................................................88 County Sub-Area Projections.........................................................................................89 Water Demand Projections....................................................................................................91 Peak Day Projections ............................................................................................................95 Summary...............................................................................................................................97 Chapter 5 Water Demand Management .....................................................................................98 Truckee Meadows Water Authority Page 1 of 132 2010-2030 Water Resource Plan Table of Contents System Management ...........................................................................................................101 Public Education .................................................................................................................102 Other Conservation Measures..............................................................................................106 Summary.............................................................................................................................112 Chapter 6 Future Water Resources ..........................................................................................114 Groundwater Projects..........................................................................................................115 Surface Water Projects ........................................................................................................121 Conceptual Projects.............................................................................................................126 Summary.............................................................................................................................127 Chapter 7 Conclusions ............................................................................................................129 Truckee Meadows Water Authority Page 2 of 132 2010-2030 Water Resource Plan Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 1: TMWA Planning Process ..........................................................................................16 Figure 2: Truckee River System with Highest, Lowest and Averaged Recorded Flows.............17 Figure 3: Truckee River Average Diversions During Non-Drought and Drought Situations......18 Figure 4: Historic Water Consumption and Washoe County Population ...................................19 Figure 5: Annual Will-Serve Commitments Issued by TMWA 2001 -2009 ..............................22 Figure 6: Development of Land in Washoe County by Year Since 1980...................................23 Figure 7: Changes in Median Price of Existing Single Family Homes ......................................24 Figure 8: Changes in Median Price of Existing Homes and TMWA’s Annual Rule 7 Price ......26 Figure 9: Month-End Rule 7 Price............................................................................................27 Figure 10: Buildable Acres in TMWA with Potential to Use Truckee River Resources.............29 Figure 11: Snowpack for the Truckee River Basin....................................................................40 Figure 12: Lake Tahoe Elevations during Drought Cycles........................................................42 Figure 13: Production and Recharge Wells and Areas of Water Quality Concern .....................49 Figure 14: Primary Tributaries and Reaches of the Truckee River ............................................56 Figure 15: Historic Water Diversions, Production, and Acquisitions of Water Rights...............57 Figure 16: 1990 to 2009 Daily Water Sources ..........................................................................72 Figure 17: Remaining Drought Reserves During the Actual Hydrology of the 8-Year Drought Design with TMWA Demand of Yields 113,000 Acre-Feet ...............................................75 Figure 18: Remaining Drought Reserves During the Actual Hydrology of the 8-Year Drought Design with TMWA Demand of 119,000 Acre-Feet ..........................................................76 Figure 19: Nevada Population, Employment, and Unemployment 1970 to 2009.......................79 Figure 20: Washoe County Population, Labor force, Employment and Unemployment Rates...80 Figure 21: Population Logistic Curve Models Results ..............................................................82 Figure 22: Logistic Lower, Estimated, Upper Bound and Demographer’s Projections ..............83 Figure 23: Population Projection Results..................................................................................84 Figure 24: Washoe County Population, Dwelling