Recently, the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (CNRWA) and Humboldt River Basin Water Authority (HRBWA) secured a substantial grant of $15 million. The funds are earmarked for the acquisition and retirement of groundwater rights from willing sellers.
The Nevada Water Conservation and Infrastructure Initiative, the driving force behind this endeavor, aims to procure and permanently retire groundwater rights voluntarily relinquished by sellers in basins facing insufficient water supply to accommodate all water rights and domestic wells.
The financial allocation is specifically intended for over-appropriated and over-pumped groundwater basins within the Central Hydrographic Region and Humboldt River Basin.
Prospective sellers interested in voluntarily retiring their water rights in these basins can submit their applications. Details and application forms for the Humboldt River Basin can be found at https://hrbwa.com/grrp/, while those for the Central Nevada Hydrographic Region are available at https://cnrwa.com/grrp/. Additionally, applications can be obtained from most member county administrative offices.
The application deadline is set for January 22, 2024.
A comprehensive list of over-pumped and over-appropriated basins is accessible online at https://cnrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Over-pumped-and-over-apropriated-groundwater-basisns-11_22_23.pdf.
Compensation details vary, with over-pumped basins valued at $900 per acre-foot, and over-appropriated basins not exceeding their pumping capacity valued at $350 per acre-foot. Water rights in the Diamond Valley Basin are assessed at $800 per acre-foot.
According to Jeff Fontaine, the Initiative’s director, "The program addresses and avoids conflicts with existing rights or detriments to the public interest and natural resources. Retiring groundwater rights will help stabilize groundwater levels."
Funding priorities focus on retiring irrigation rights in over-pumped basins subject to curtailment. Consideration will also be given to purchasing groundwater rights in other over-appropriated basins if such acquisitions mitigate conflicts with existing rights or if there are detriments to natural resources.
Eligibility for application extends to groundwater right holders in the relevant portions of the Humboldt River Basin and Central Hydrographic Region in CNRWA and HRBWA member counties. These counties encompass Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Nye, Pershing, and White Pine.
Fontaine encourages interested parties to apply promptly, emphasizing that available funds are expected to surpass the program’s demand.
For additional information, a detailed FAQ document is accessible online at https://cnrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Water-Rights-Retirement-Program-FAQ-final11_14_23.pdf.
For inquiries, contact Jeff Fontaine at [email protected] or 775-443-7667.
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