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Board revisits history of Basin 162 perennial-yield change from 12,000 to 20,000 acre-feet
Summary
Board members discussed the March 2014 increase in Basin 162's perennial yield from 12,000 to 20,000 acre-feet and the assumption that water capture/redistribution projects would accompany that change. One board member described the earlier process as questionable; staff said the change was within the state engineer's authority and based on technical data.
The board spent time on Oct. 14 reviewing the master-plan context for the Nevada Division of Water Resources’ decision to increase the official perennial yield for Hydrographic Basin 162 from 12,000 to 20,000 acre-feet in March 2014.
Manager read the master-plan language explaining the change was made based on expectations that future groundwater-capture or redistribution projects would supplement basin yield. Some board members questioned whether those redistribution projects had been carried out and asked for records; Helene Williams said the public record and video raised concerns and, in her words, "in my opinion, it was fraud." Manager and others responded that the state engineer acted within statutory authority and used scientific data, including precip/PRISM evaluations and other water-budget studies, to support the change.
The discussion set context for later agenda items, including the grant for rapid infiltration basins and the federal authorization the board is pursuing.
