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Ely approves water-rights lease-exchange to secure 420.4 AFA for city use
Summary
The Council approved leasing irrigation water rights to White Pine County and accepted a deed-back of 420.4 acre-feet from the County's industrial rights in Steptoe Valley, to be changed to municipal use; the exchange aims to support the golf course irrigation and secure municipal supply.
The Ely City Council approved an agreement that leases portions of irrigation water rights associated with APN 010-424-04 to White Pine County at no cost for use on the Golf Course, while the County will deed 420.4 acre-feet (AFA) of industrial water rights in Steptoe Valley to the City for conversion to municipal use.
City Engineer B.J. Almberg explained the deeded 420.4 AFA are industrial water rights held by the County from earlier power-plant allocations and that the City would file a change application to move the point of diversion and convert the rights to municipal use at a City well. Almberg also noted the permits listed include surface water, effluent and groundwater components and that the lease preserves the City’s obligation to keep rights active.
The exchange and agreement passed unanimously. During public comment earlier in the meeting, Paula Carson urged care, saying she found “at least five of these eleven permits are for effluence and not groundwater,” and asked the Council to consider neighboring well owners and lessees. The Council and engineering staff said the agreement addresses existing water-right claims rather than creating new appropriations and that any County edits to the draft agreement will be reviewed by the City Attorney.
