December 27, 2007
Water District Filing More Water Applications in Tule Desert

By Dave Maxwell

Members of the Lincoln County Water District Board approved five new applications to the Nevada State Water Engineer for water in the Tule Desert area. The decision was made at the regular meeting of the Board December 11 in Pioche.

LC Water already has applications for over 9,000 acre-feet of water in Tule Desert. State Engineer Tracy Taylor has so far permitted 2,100 acre feet and the board is waiting for Taylor to make a ruling on the remaining acre-feet of water. A meeting between the Board, Vidler Water and the State Engineer is planned for January 16, 2008 in Carson City. Taylor will hear the presentation from Vidler/LC Water District on studies done to back up their request for the additional acre-feet.

The 2,100 acre-feet of water has been sold to Poquot Water Company for the Lincoln County Land Act located in the easterly portion of Lincoln County for $7,500 an acre-foot for a total of $15,750,000.00.

Water Board member, Ronda Hornbeck, said the reason for making extra applications was in case the state engineer opens up more acre-feet than the board originally asked for. “It then becomes an insurance policy that you could go back at some future point to the state water engineer and you have still maintained your place in line as the application requests.”