The Nevada State Water Engineer has set 9 a.m. Wednesday, January 20th for a video conference to hear from individuals interested in confirming or reestablishing the perennial yield for Dry Valley Hydrographic Basin (07-095) in Washoe County, Nevada.
The Dry Valley basin spans the border between Nevada and California. Dry Valley includes the Dry Valley creek, a tributary to the Long Valley Creek. The Long Valley Creek, a fully appropriated and adjudicated stream, is a primary recharge source to California’s Honey Lake basin.
The perennial yield is the long-term amount of water that can be withdrawn yearly for beneficial use without depleting the groundwater reservoir. While the yield must equal the natural recharge to a groundwater basin, it can be less. [i] The current perennial yield is 3,000 Acre Feet Yearly (AFY). However, the State engineer currently sets the manner of use for the underground portion of the Basin at 25.60 AFY. [ii]
According to the hearing authors, previous water resource investigations have made several different groundwater recharge estimates and discharges in Dry Valley. The authors say these investigations include peer-reviewed studies, consulting reports, groundwater modeling, empirical and statistical relationships, and correspondence among researchers.
Holders of existing rights and other interested parties are encouraged to submit reports to the Office of the State Engineer evaluating existing studies and literature available regarding the perennial yield of Dry Valley
Sometime after the hearing, The Nevada State Water Engineer will either confirm the current yield or establish a new one.
Endnotes:
[i] State Engineer’s Office, Water for Nevada State of Nevada Water Planning Report No. 3, October 1971, p. 13.
[ii] Hydrographic Area Summary, Area 095, Dry Valley, at: http://water.nv.gov/DisplayHydrographicGeneralReport.aspx?basin=095
