April 14, 2014

Mr. Carbone

related that the BOCC, on April 22, drafted a set of bylaws for the Basin 162 Groundwater Advisory Committee which is currently being reviewed by the DA’s Office. They will be presented on an upcoming BOCC Agenda for review and possible decision.

Mr. Lacy

related some options that were presented by Mr. King during a previous educational seminar which included: Pumping plans; landscaping; importation of water from other basins and developing water in other parts of the valley. Mr. Lacy discussed the practice of “serial parceling” and its impact upon water demand. Future demand must be addressed in a groundwater management plan. AB 419 addresses some of the components that should be included.

Mr. Lacy

showed on a map the area which comprises Basin 162 and noted how underground water flows from the mountains in the east to the southwest and, for the most part, bypasses the Town of Pahrump. He felt that there needs to be a plan to capture some of that water from the south and pump it back north to augment the supply in areas where levels are dropping. Options to reduce pumpage were also discussed.

Mr. Lacy

noted that effluent reuse and infiltration, aquifer storage and recovery, water injection as well as conservation are utilized in other communities with similar problems. He discussed how Las Vegas reuses its effluent and felt this technique might be beneficial to the Pahrump Valley.

Mr. Lacy

noted that there exists in Basin 162 a 4 to 1 over-allocation of paper water versus wet water available. Most domestic wells in the valley do not have priority as they were drilled much later than the 1943 priority date. This committee was designated with the task of finding solutions that should be acceptable to the general public. Science is still a major component of any plan. Water quality is an important ingredient to be considered. Land use planning as well as related zoning has to be considered. He stressed that the committee will be making recommendations, but the Water District has power over the implementation. There may be difficult choices to make but we cannot wait until a crisis exists. Water District staff is available to help with the technical aspects. Mr. Lacy requested that the committee put together a list of priorities or a work plan in order to get the process started. Gregory Hafen II suggested that a plan similar to one used in Las Vegas for aquifer storage and recovery be considered for the Pahrump Valley. He also related that Las Vegas has a groundwater management program and he suggested that the committee take a look at what they have in place to for some ideas. Darrell Lacy related that members of the SNWA have offered to give a presentation on their efforts to avert a water crisis in the Las Vegas valley.

Mr. Lacy

explained the challenges involved with moving water from the fan to the valley floor. The State Engineer would have to be involved in any discussion of that nature, but has expressed a willingness to work with the County. Mr. Lacy briefly explained how a RIB or Rapid Infiltration Basin functions to put storm water or effluent water back into a basin. Donna Lamm related that there were options being considered to capture water in the Trout Canyon area and inject it into the valley aquifer. There may be challenges with implementation of such a plan as Trout Canyon is located in Clark County. Greg Dann felt that fan water was a key component for a successful future for the Pahrump Valley. He envisioned an infrastructure originating on the fan that supplied water to the valley below. Darrell Lacy noted that finding water is easy, but it is all of the other issues that have to be addressed in the process that may make it difficult to achieve the desired result. Financing for any project must be addressed. In the past many projects were funded by grants which are of short duration. Having a long term financial plan is the best way to achieve success. Gregory Hafen II suggested that staff investigate funding sources. During public comment, Kenny Bent noted that it was easier to catch water before it reached the valley floor and thereby use gravity to transport to the valley. He suggested 5 Groundwater Advisory Committee April 14, 2014 a moratorium on building lakes and fountains due to the tremendous loss of water through evaporation. Let’s start with some easily achieved simple solutions first. Harley Kulkin questioned the reasoning behind putting wells on the fan and would like to see more research on that issue. Greg Dann noted that his own well is continuing to show a drop in the static water level and would like water to be diverted from the fan where levels are increasing. Lenny Badger related that expert opinion is needed before any plan can be deemed feasible. Kristian Bentzen related the importance of gathering more water level information from valley wells. Mr. Dann advised all committee members to read the information that was provided to them about the wells that are already being monitored throughout the valley.

Ms. Barnett

showed on a map how a subdivision can have a mix of lots with or without utility service. UICN does not retain water rights for lots that been designated for a domestic well. Many of the lots in the Calvada Subdivision are only allocated .54 AF which was the requirement at the time the subdivision was approved. She explained the steps taken when applying for a well permit within a utility service area.

Ms. Barnett

went on to discuss water conservation and emphasized that conservation was not about how much water may be used, but it was about using water wisely. She noted that Salt Cedar is not native to this country but was brought in from the Mediterranean area around 1825 to the east coast and brought west to aid in erosion control. Salt Cedar is labeled as a noxious weed by the State of Nevada and a full grown tree consumes about 200 gallon of water per day. UICN offers a rebate for Salt Cedar removal. There are other alternative trees that can provide shade. She explained some of the other rebate items that help to encourage conservation. UICN has plans to implement a GIS system for mapping their water and sewer systems which can be integrated with the Nye County GIS street maps. This will be a valuable tool in an emergency situation. Ms. Barnett discussed the feasibility of using RIB’s for the reuse of treated effluent and storm water.

Ms. Barnett

did not know exactly how many of UICN’s water rights were located on the fan. UICN recently won an award for their water conservation efforts.