Elko County asks state engineer to reconsider 2023 relinquishment of groundwater rights in Dixie basin

The Elko County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution asking the Nevada State Engineer to reconsider and reverse a March 2023 decision that temporarily relinquished roughly 5,400 acre-feet of State Lands’ groundwater rights in the Dixie 10-mile hydrographic basin, and to evaluate cancellation of unused water-right permits under NRS 533.395.

Commissioner (speaker 9) summarized the county’s view that State Lands has large surface-water and groundwater allocations assigned decades ago (4,727 acre-feet of surface water and about 5,500 acre-feet of groundwater were noted in the staff summary) and that much of the groundwater has not been pumped or put to beneficial use since the rights were decreed in the late 1980s. He said the county wants the state engineer to review the relinquishment and make unused water available for appropriation.

Commissioners debated the resolution’s length and tone; some expressed concerns that the three-page draft might deter support from other jurisdictions and suggested streamlining before broader circulation, while others argued expert review justified the detail. Public commenters, including Cliff Gardner (speaker 11), offered hydrological background and urged the board to gather and share supporting data. The board passed the resolution on a voice vote and discussed sending it certified to ensure delivery and requesting a formal response from the state engineer.