State engineer: Nevada needs updated groundwater data, warns many basins are over‑appropriated
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Summary
State Engineer Adam Sullivan told the Assembly Natural Resources Committee that Nevada remains the driest state, that existing appropriations exceed sustainable supplies in many basins, and that investment in updated groundwater science and digitization is needed to prevent conflict and guide policy.
Adam Sullivan, Nevada State Engineer and principal administrator of the Division of Water Resources, briefed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 10 about the state’s water‑law framework, groundwater use patterns, and the need to modernize baseline data used for water‑availability decisions.
Sullivan opened by noting Nevada is "the driest state in the nation" and explained that most consumptive use in Nevada comes from surface water, while about a third comes from groundwater. He told the committee a statewide water‑use inventory for 2021 shows roughly 67 percent of groundwater use is for irrigation, about 8–10 percent for mining and municipal uses, and that total appropriations on paper exceed measured use by a large margin in many basins.
Key points to policymakers: Sullivan said water administration is guided by prior appropriation ("first in time, first in right"), beneficial use, and the statutory "use it or lose it" principles. He warned that many administrative basins are administratively overappropriated and that roughly half of basins are over‑pumped by perennial yield measures, though local conditions differ and perennial yield is only one indicator.
On data and records, Sullivan said the Division has scanned more than 60,000 maps and is incrementally adding digital filing and payment options, but that most baseline hydrogeologic studies are 50 to 70 years old and require updates. He recommended investments in the Nevada Water Initiative, digitization, cross‑training staff (the division added 10 positions last session and has a vacancy rate under 10 percent), and expanded monitoring to improve the water‑budget science used to evaluate new appropriations.
Committee members asked about retention of hard copies, digital application filing, measurement of recharge, and funding. Sullivan said the division has not disposed of original paper files; scanned maps are stored and some are archived. He said digital submittals for maps and certain claims are accepted and the office is working toward accepting full digital applications and additional online payments.
Ending: Sullivan recommended careful review of proposed water bills for alignment with Nevada water law, impacts on existing users and the resource, precedent and administrative burdens, and whether a bill addresses root causes or creates narrow exceptions. He urged legislative investment in data modernization and monitoring to reduce future conflicts over water rights.
