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Ely approves lease-and-deed exchange to secure 420.4 acre-feet for golf-course irrigation
Summary
The Ely City Council approved terms to lease portions of irrigation water rights for the Georgetown Golf Course (total 420.4 acre-feet) to White Pine County at no cost, in exchange for 420.4 acre-feet of industrial water rights from Steptoe Valley deeded to the city; council voted unanimously.
The Ely City Council on June 12 approved an intergovernmental agreement to ensure irrigation for the Georgetown Golf Course by matching 420.4 acre-feet of irrigation duty with 420.4 acre-feet deeded from White Pine County's industrial water-right holdings in Steptoe Valley.
City Engineer B.J. Almberg explained the terms: the city will lease at no cost portions of irrigation rights associated with APN 010-424-04 to the County to irrigate the golf course; in exchange the County will deed an equal volume (420.4 AFA) from its industrial rights to the City. Almberg said the arrangement was meant to be administratively cleaner than deeds at this stage and would be tied to the existing lease of the back nine. "If the city does do a land swap or something and this land ends up in the County's ownership, at that time paperwork can be taken care of," Almberg said, describing the practical approach.
Almberg told council the County is pursuing a well that may initially water only part of the course, with the intention of expanding capacity later; the city agreed to continue discounted rates for the front nine while the State Engineer processes protests on the County's application to fully water the course.
Councilman Dennis Perea and others discussed timing and cost implications; Perea expressed concern that the swap not slow ongoing efforts to provide immediate well service for the course. The council approved the revised terms unanimously.
The motion passed with no immediate fiscal exchange; the lease terms call for shared maintenance allocation similar to the way monthly power costs are apportioned by use. The agreement also contemplates potential mitigation language for nearby wells at the County's request and preserves future options (deed transfers) if land ownership changes.
Next steps include finalizing administrative lease language, continued coordination with the County on well development, and tracking the State Engineer's decision on the County's application.
