TCID Begins Precautionary Releases

News release from the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District -- Owing to current hydrologic conditions and high soil saturation levels, no demand exists presently for the delivery of water in the Newlands Project.  With such being the case, the District, upon direction given today by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, will commence this week the precautionary release of water from Lahontan Reservoir – so as to account for and balance the present storage volume in the Reservoir with the anticipated run-off in the Carson River watershed. This is not “spread water”.  Spread water consists of water that is delivered during the course of flood operations in the Project at no charge to annual allocations. Pursuant to criteria established in 1997, precautionary releases of water are to be delivered as follows:  first, where possible, to water righted lands and charged against the user’s annual allocation; second, for storage in Project regulating reservoirs, and third, at no charge to allocations for storage in wetlands in the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Stillwater Wildlife Management Area, Fallon National Wildlife Refuge, the Carson Lake Pasture and Marsh, and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Indian Reservation.  Water that is stored in regulating reservoirs, and later diverted to water users, is charged against a water user’s annual allocation. TCID reminds surface water right holders that when no need exists for the application of water, because of excessively wet conditions such that we now have, with more storms forecast in the future, water right owners need not worry about losing water if not used.  Nevada law provides that “[r]ights to the use of surface water shall not be deemed to be lost or otherwise forfeited for the failure to use the water there-from for a beneficial purpose.” (Nevada Revised Statutes 533.060(2)).   Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon. Never miss the local news -- read more on The Fallon Post home page.