The second wettest October in 127 years brought an increase of 1.6 inches of moisture to the Lahontan Valley, providing some relief to the extreme drought conditions that have plagued Churchill County for the last several years.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (drought.gov/states/Nevada) began collecting data in 2000. The site incorporates information from state climatologists, the National Weather Service, Agricultural Extension offices, and hydrologists from across the country.
Nevada’s longest drought, since the website’s creation, lasted 269 weeks, from December 27, 2011, through February 14, 2017. Exceptional drought affected over 40 percent of Nevada this year in the early part of July.
The Truckee-Carson Irrigation District is currently diverting water at Derby Dam through the Truck https://www.thefallonpost.org/news/4000,local-holiday-resourcesee Canal to supplement the Carson River water supply providing storage in Lahontan Reservoir. This action implements both Operating Criteria and Procedures and the Truckee River Operating Agreement which govern management of the water supply in the Newlands Project.
Water storage reports for the reservoir from October 29 showed Lahontan at a low of 8,727 acre-feet. On November 11, that number had risen to 22,520 acre-feet, up nearly 14,000 acre-feet in two weeks. Lahontan will hold 295,500 af of water when it is full and during the high-water year in 2017 was measured at 299,020 af, due to the use of flash-boards to control for flooding.
TCID operates the project, utilizing Newlands Project water from the Truckee and Carson Rivers to cover 57,000 acres of cropland as well as the Carson Lake and Stillwater Wetlands. Water rights are owned by local farmers and tied to specific property which is governed under Nevada Water Law. TCID delivers water through nearly 400 miles of canals and 35 miles of drains across the community.
Agriculture in Churchill County accounts for 894 local jobs and contributes $122 million in production to the local economy, according to a recent study by the Nevada Department of Agriculture. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports 38,712 acres of hay and silage are grown in Churchill County, along with 20,222 head of cattle and 4,816 sheep. There were 504 farms in 2017 with 120 of those under 9 acres, 179 under 50 acres, and 27 farms over 1,000 acres in size.
Storm forecasts for this winter from the National Weather Service show the seasonal temperature outlook through March normal and the precipitation outlook as lightly below normal.
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