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Carson City approves first purchase of water rights for Buzzies Ranch — $730,000 appraisal
Summary
The board unanimously authorized buying roughly 363.825 acre‑feet (about 86 acres equivalent) of water rights for Buzzies Ranch at an appraised price of $730,000. Staff said the acquisition is budgeted in FY26 and represents about 20% of the water rights needed; two additional purchases will follow.
The Carson City Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy water rights needed to sustain irrigation, floodplain protection and wildlife habitat at Buzzies Ranch.
Lindsey Boyer, the city's open space manager, told the board the city completed an appraisal in July 2025 that set the purchase price at $730,000 for the rights offered. The parcel being purchased represents approximately 20% of the water rights needed to fully support the ranch; staff said two further acquisitions are planned, one from Fiddler Water Company and another supported by a SNPLMA grant on a different timeline.
Boyer said the water rights are critical to maintaining historically irrigated green pastures and associated habitat, and removing those rights from the property would be "devastating." The purchase was included in the FY26 budget. After brief questions about why the acquisition is staged in three transactions, the board moved and seconded the agreement; the motion passed unanimously.
The city indicated this is the first step in a multi-stage acquisition plan and that future purchases will return to the board for approval. The mayor thanked staff and said the city looks forward to the next two purchases.
