Yerington conditionally approves 500‑acre‑foot water lease with Libra Solar; temporary water use approved

YERINGTON, Nev. — The Yerington City Council on Jan. 26 conditionally approved a water‑lease agreement with Libra Solar, LLC for 500 acre‑feet of water annually, with the lease term expiring June 30, 2028. The approval is conditioned on a favorable appraisal from a water professional and legal review.

Interim City Manager Jerry Bryant said the project is largely sited in Mineral County and will help keep heavy equipment and most project traffic south of town; he said revenue from the lease would be allocated to city enterprise funds. "This will benefit from keeping traffic and heavier equipment from town," Bryant said.

Councilman Shane Martin moved to approve the lease with the stated conditions; Councilman Omar Lopez seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The council also approved a temporary water‑use application for Libra Solar for up to three years, subject to final review and approval by the Nevada State Engineer. A meeting participant recorded in the transcript (Sean/Shawn Mantucca/Mantuuca) told the council the project expects to pull water from hydrants and suggested the temporary agreement likely would not need extension beyond one to three years.

Council members emphasized the conditional nature of the approvals: the lease and the temporary use authorization require further professional appraisal and regulatory clearance by the Nevada Division of Water Resources before commercial pumping or full lease execution.

Next steps include obtaining the appraisal, completing legal review, and securing State Engineer approval for the temporary water use.