Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Churchill County to ask state engineer to consider lower water dedication for new housing
Summary
The county authorized staff to seek a reduction of the State Water Engineer’s 1.12 acre‑foot per single‑family home dedication — and to study multifamily approaches — after consultants and staff said local consumption data justify a request to lower the dedication to support development.
The Churchill County Board of Commissioners authorized county staff to approach the Nevada State Engineer to request a reduction in the single‑family water‑dedication requirement and to consider parallel approaches for multifamily housing.
County Manager Chris Pross explained developers view the current 1.12 acre‑foot dedication as a barrier and that county staff and outside consultants have compiled consumption data and an engineering review suggesting a lower figure may be appropriate. "We want approval from the board to be able to approach the state engineer to talk to them about a reduction," Pross said.
Consultant Chris Fakewee of Fakewee Consulting told the board he had discussed the path with Division of Water Resources staff and that the chief of the water rights section would review submittals; he said there was no apparent backlog and a defined review path exists. Fakewee described alternative approaches for multifamily or unit‑based calculations (fixture counts, landscaping) and said some communities use demand estimates as low as 0.1 acre‑foot per door for higher‑density projects, or blended models around 0.25–0.3 acre‑foot per door depending on fixture counts and common‑area uses.
Commissioner Blakey emphasized urgency and asked staff to examine multifamily approaches in parallel. The board approved a motion directing staff to seek reductions in single‑family and multifamily water‑dedication requirements from the Department of Water Resources, with consultation from Fakewee Consulting and county staff to pursue the option that yields the least water use per door consistent with demonstrating beneficial use.
