March 27, 2008
Lake Valley Water – Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Photos by The Lincoln County RECORD Lake Valley

Coyote Springs

By Dave Maxwell, Staff Writer

Reno businessman, Harvey Whittemore’s Tuffy Ranch Properties has applied to transfer approximately 11,000 to 12,000 acre feet of water from Lake Valley, an area north of Pioche Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had protested the applications concerning the water from the Atlanta Farms area, formerly known as Holt Farms. The BLM dropped its protest after reaching an agreement with Tuffy Ranch Properties.

Tim Wilson, Hearings Officer, with the State Engineer’s Office reported to The Lincoln County RECORD the applications seek to transfer water currently permitted/certificated from irrigation purposes to municipal purposes. The actual amount transferred could be reduced due to consumptive use and supplemental permit limitations.

The Atlanta Farms area is wholly contained in Lincoln County and of the water involved in the agreement none is within White Pine County. There is no water being transferred from Geyser Ranch under these applications.

Currently, the plan is to use the Southern Nevada Water Authority, (SNWA) pipeline to convey the water to the Coyote Springs development. The water will be used at Coyote Springs, but only for that portion of the development within Lincoln County.

While the BLM has dropped its protests, this issue remains under protest by White Pine County, Louis Benezet of Pioche and Jo Anne Garrett of Baker. Concerns have been raised on the transfers impacting environmental and ranching operations.

Benezet opposes transferring the water out of Lake Valley. He said, “The recharge to the valley is approximately 12,000 acre-feet per year and there are already 22,000 acre-feet a year permitted. This is the water he intends to take out of the valley.” Benezet also commented, “If all of this water is transferred out of the valley and there is no additional water to be had, how are you going to develop the northern part of the county? In other words, we need this resource in the north.”

The 50 applications for water transfer represent a little more than 20 percent of the estimated 50,000 acre feet of water a year that would eventually be needed at the Coyote Springs development. The administrative hearing on these applications is scheduled for March 31 – April 1, 2008 at the Tahoe Hearing Room at the State Water Engineer’s office in Carson City.