The Nye County Water District Governing Board voted unanimously on Oct. 14 to approve submission of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant application to plan and design rapid infiltration basins (RIBs) in Nevada Hydrographic Basin 162.

Board members approved a motion to pursue grant opportunity R25AP00577-00, which, if awarded, would provide a $295,000 federal share and require a proposed non‑federal match of $307,000 from the district and partnering agencies. The board approved the measure 5-0 with one member not present.

The grant request would fund planning and design work for up to three RIB sites in the Pahrump Valley, plus a guidance document for landowners and property managers. Presenters said planning tasks include site evaluation, flood‑model review, environmental and cultural surveys and geotechnical testing followed by 60% and 90% engineering design packages and a construction cost estimate. The project timeline presented to the board runs through December 2027.

Kayla Armbruster of Beck Environmental, who led the presentation, said the district will leverage existing hydrologic and FEMA flood‑modeling work and well data to select candidate sites and that some public and private landowners have offered property or prior NEPA work to count as match. “We need a 1 to 1 match for anything that we do moving forward,” Eileen Christensen, a consultant on the project, told the board while explaining how land value and in‑kind technical time can be accepted as part of the match.

Board members asked how large a financial commitment the district might face if the grant goes to design and construction. Presenters described the grant as “pay as you go,” saying the district will compile and confirm acceptable match before each step and can stop at any milestone if board members decline additional spending. Board members pressed for clarity on worst‑case budget exposure; presenters said the up‑to total project estimate in the application was about $602,000 and that roughly $188,000 of match still needed to be identified under current estimates, with match spend spread across multiple fiscal years through the grant end date in September 2027.

Public commenters and several board members voiced support for proceeding, noting the projects’ potential to capture stormwater that now runs off and evaporates and to reduce downstream flood impacts. After questions and public comment, Michael Locke moved to approve the application as presented; Helene Williams seconded. The motion carried 5-0.

The board chair read the vote: “Motion carries unanimously. 5-0,” and thanked the presenters.

Why it matters: Basin 162 is the Pahrump Valley groundwater basin; proponents say RIBs can increase infiltration of episodic stormwater into the aquifer and aid flood control. The grant, if awarded, would advance site selection and design but does not authorize construction or require the district to fund future capital construction beyond confirmed match commitments at each stage.