Nevada’s State Engineer releases water right ruling on Cave, Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys

Ruling grants Southern Nevada Water Authority 18,755 acre-feet annually of 34,752 acre-feet requested

CARSON CITY, Nev.—Nevada’s State Engineer Tracy Taylor released his ruling today on the Cave Valley, Dry Lake Valley and Delamar Valley water right applications filed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The applications are now held by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Taylor’s ruling grants to SNWA 18,755 acre-feet of water annually. LVVWD applied for 34,752 acre-feet annually in applications that were originally filed in 1989.

Today’s ruling comes after a hearing held in February.

DCNR Budget Update

[Editor's note: This is an email sent in June by Director Allen Biaggi to DCNR employees.]

Good afternoon to everyone in DCNR.

To say these are trying times is an understatement. State revenues continue to be weak, resulting in the need for DCNR’s administration and budget staff to evaluate further cuts for the 2009 fiscal year as well as the next biennium (more below). These reductions have the potential to fundamentally change the way we do business and achieve our agency mandates. I will continue to work with the agency administrators to identify the necessary budget reductions while still providing essential services to our customers and regulated communities.

I would like to thank DCNR’s Deputy Director, Kay Scherer for her hard work and professionalism in understanding the extremely complicated reduction directives and guiding us through this process. It is critical we make our reductions in a logical and strategic way, understanding the implications to our programs, employees and Nevada’s citizens. I want to make this process as transparent as possible and keep the lines of communication open with all DCNR employees.

Allen Biaggi
Director

Court upholds Carson’s Ash Canyon water rights

CARSON CITY, Nev.–The Nevada Supreme Court has unanimously upheld Carson City’s 1885 priority to water rights in Ash Canyon.

When Carson ran into regulatory troubles eight years ago, the state temporarily canceled the city’s permit to use the water. The city owns 60 percent of the water rights to the canyon, but because in many years the amount of water is very limited, that priority is important.

Read the complete story at the Nevada Appeal.

Internet video to be set up for water hearings

CORRECTION: This article was updated with new and correct information at 10:13 a.m. Feb. 5, 2008. 

 The Nevada State Engineer will be holding water rights hearing on applications filed for Cave Valley, Dry Lake Valley and Delamare Valley Monday, February 4 through Friday February 11, 2008.

The hearing will be broadcast live at the Nevada Legislature Web site: http://www.leg.state.nv.us/audio/AudioVideo.cfm.

The hearing will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, February 4, 2008, continuing through Friday, February 8, 2008, and reconvening at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, February 11, 2008, continuing through Friday, February 15, 2008, to be held at the Nevada Legislature, 401 South Carson Street, Room 1214, Carson City, Nevada. Please note that the room will be moved for Thursday and Friday, February 7 and 8 to Room 4100.

Public comment will be taken on Friday, February 8, 2008 and written public comment will be accepted until Friday, February 29, 2008.

Oral public comment will be taken in Carson City, Las Vegas, Caliente and Ely on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The locations for public comment are the hearing in Carson City, and:

LAS VEGAS
State of Nevada Office Building
555 East Washington Ave., Room 4412
Las Vegas, Nevada

CALIENTE
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Lincoln County
360 Lincoln Street
Caliente, NV 89008-0728
Phone: 775-726-3109

ELY
University of Nevada
White Pine County Cooperative Extension
995 Campton Street
Conference Room
Ely, Nevada

Written public comment
As set forth in the Intermediate Order and Hearing Notice of Oct. 4, 2007, the State Engineer will accept written public comment regarding the use of water as applied for under the applications. The new deadline for written public comments is Feb. 29, 2008.

Please address comments to:

Tracy Taylor
State Engineer
Attention: Susan Joseph-Taylor
Chief Hearing Officer
901 S. Stewart Street
Ste. 2002
Carson City, NV 89701-5250