January 3, 2008
Lincoln County Water Sends Letter to SNWA

By Dave Maxwell

A special meeting of the Lincoln County Commissioners was held December 19 at the Courthouse in Pioche. The purpose of the meeting was to approve a letter to send to the Southern Nevada Water Authority identifying projects and places for beneficial use of 3,000-acre feet of water, in accordance with the master plan, that was set aside for Lincoln County use in the agreement between the two entities made in April 2003.

However, what Lincoln County is going to do with the water has not yet been determined. It is possible it could be used to supply Coyote Springs. Frehner also said no decision has been made as to what the County would charge Coyote Springs for using the water from Cave Valley, Dry Lake and Delamar Valley.

LC Water Director, Dylan Frehner, said the letter, which they will also send to State Water Engineer, Tracy Taylor, is to remind SNWA that Lincoln County does have plans for the water SNWA has filed applications on in Cave Valley, Dry Lake and Delamar Valley. Under the agreement with SNWA, Lincoln County is to receive the first 3,000-acre feet of water pumped in those three basins combined. According to the agreement, Frehner said that SNWA has applied for 35,000-acre feet and Lincoln County will get 15 percent of any amount over 30,000-acre feet.

SNWA has intentions to develop and convey up to 200,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from seven hydrographic basins in northern Clark, central Lincoln and eastern White Pine counties. In August 2004, the Water Authority applied to the Bureau of Land Management for the right to drill wells and build pipelines across federal lands. They also have applications for rights-of-way along the pipelines in all three counties.

A hearing to discuss the review of the applications in Cave Valley, Dry Lake and Delamar Valley, before the State Water Engineer is set for February 4, 2008 in Carson City. If both water rights and rights-of-way are granted by the appropriate state and federal agencies, SNWA will then proceed to develop a number of groundwater production wells, pipelines and other facilities to pump water from groundwater wells to be used in the Las Vegas Valley and the Lincoln County Water District.