Walker River Draft Environmental Impact Statement – Leasing Alternative (Post3)
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
This marks the third post that has been prepared in regard to the review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the “Walker River Basin Acquisition Program”. For those who might have missed the first two entries, I am going through the documents and pointing out information which may be used in public comments. We are also welcoming your reaction, ideas, responses which can be entered into the “comment” box at the bottom of this page.
Those wishing to obtain their own copy of the DEIS can visit this link on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Website.
You are encouraged to offer your input, thoughts and reactions and also prepare and submit your own comments. The comment period ends on Monday, Sept. 14th and you should send the comments to:
Caryn Huntt DeCarlo, Walker EIS Project Lead
Bureau of Reclamation
705 N. Plaza St. Room 320
Carson City, NV 89701
Review and Comments:
Alternative 2 (Leasing Alternative): In the evaluation of various approaches for acquiring 50,000 acre feet of water per year for Walker Lake, this alternative considers leasing water from water right owners without the water right owner giving up their ownership. It is a proposal that has been forwarded by the Walker River Irrigation District and is also a system that Nevada Farm Bureau has endorsed as being the preferred approach.
While not completely ironed out and secured through final legislative approval, a bill is being worked on in the U.S. Senate which, from what we’re told, provides funding and authorization for commencement of a leasing program outside of the Acquisition Program being offered by the University of Nevada System of Higher Education.
Because the purchase of water right program is based on willing sellers, it would seem that possible “willing” sellers might want to wait to see what develops with the leasing option. Rushing to “cash in” on whatever purchase amounts the University might be offering should be avoided to fully understand and work through the possible alternative of maintaining ownership and being paid under the terms of a lease for a providing a specific amount of water for a certain timeframe.
Alternative 3 (Efficiency Alternative): Another potential method of getting water, evaluated through the DEIS involves program funding being used to conservation and water management improvements which would result in more water flowing into Walker Lake. This approach envisions looking at improving efficiency activities at both the farm and system level.
While we imagine that the consideration for improved efficiency is an idea focused on the irrigation portion of the system, it should be duly noted that in estimates for purchase, the DEIS states the belief that 82,000 acre feet of water will need to be acquired in order to deliver an average of 50,000 acre feet into Walker Lake.
A forty percent “loss” of water speaks strongly to the inefficiency of the delivery system getting purchased water into the lake. Efficiency improvement for moving acquired water (regardless of the alternative) from a purchase location to the lake should be a top priority.
This marks the third post that has been prepared in regard to the review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the “Walker River Basin Acquisition Program”. For those who might have missed the first two entries, I am going through the documents and pointing out information which may be used in public comments. We are also welcoming your reaction, ideas, responses which can be entered into the “comment” box at the bottom of this page.
Those wishing to obtain their own copy of the DEIS can visit this link on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Website.
You are encouraged to offer your input, thoughts and reactions and also prepare and submit your own comments. The comment period ends on Monday, Sept. 14th and you should send the comments to:
Caryn Huntt DeCarlo, Walker EIS Project Lead
Bureau of Reclamation
705 N. Plaza St. Room 320
Carson City, NV 89701
Review and Comments:
Alternative 2 (Leasing Alternative): In the evaluation of various approaches for acquiring 50,000 acre feet of water per year for Walker Lake, this alternative considers leasing water from water right owners without the water right owner giving up their ownership. It is a proposal that has been forwarded by the Walker River Irrigation District and is also a system that Nevada Farm Bureau has endorsed as being the preferred approach.
While not completely ironed out and secured through final legislative approval, a bill is being worked on in the U.S. Senate which, from what we’re told, provides funding and authorization for commencement of a leasing program outside of the Acquisition Program being offered by the University of Nevada System of Higher Education.
Because the purchase of water right program is based on willing sellers, it would seem that possible “willing” sellers might want to wait to see what develops with the leasing option. Rushing to “cash in” on whatever purchase amounts the University might be offering should be avoided to fully understand and work through the possible alternative of maintaining ownership and being paid under the terms of a lease for a providing a specific amount of water for a certain timeframe.
Alternative 3 (Efficiency Alternative): Another potential method of getting water, evaluated through the DEIS involves program funding being used to conservation and water management improvements which would result in more water flowing into Walker Lake. This approach envisions looking at improving efficiency activities at both the farm and system level.
While we imagine that the consideration for improved efficiency is an idea focused on the irrigation portion of the system, it should be duly noted that in estimates for purchase, the DEIS states the belief that 82,000 acre feet of water will need to be acquired in order to deliver an average of 50,000 acre feet into Walker Lake.
A forty percent “loss” of water speaks strongly to the inefficiency of the delivery system getting purchased water into the lake. Efficiency improvement for moving acquired water (regardless of the alternative) from a purchase location to the lake should be a top priority.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 7/29/2009 10:11 AM 
Categories: Walker River DEIS
Tags: Nevada Water University of Nevada Walker River
Categories: Walker River DEIS
Tags: Nevada Water University of Nevada Walker River
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