By Mark Waite
Pahrump should be designated a critical management basin for water, State Engineer Jason King said at a presentation at the Bob Ruud Community Center Tuesday night.
King made his intentions clear at the start, leading off with the reason for his presentation, the first by the state engineer’s office in Pahrump since 2007:
“The Pahrump basin is overappropriated and overpumped. Water levels continue to decline. We’re continuing to explore ways to minimize adverse impacts from overpumping,” he said.
Under Assembly Bill 419 approved by the 2011 state Legislature, if a hydrographic basin has been designated as a critical management area for at least 10 consecutive years, the state engineer shall order withdrawals of groundwater be restricted to those with priority water rights.
“Once a critical management area is designated, that starts a 10-year time clock and the whole purpose behind this is, we have a problem here. It doesn’t say in 10 years the water levels have to be where they were in 1940. What it says in the very last sentence is we would have to regulate by priority unless a groundwater management plan has been approved for that basin. We designate a basin as a critical management area. We start to work with stakeholders,” King said. “As long as there is a long-range plan, we don’t look to regulate by priority.”
Otherwise the state engineer could deal with the overpumping by regulating groundwater withdrawals by priority of water rights, but the most 50 senior water rights holders out of 850 would take up the 12,000 acre feet of perennial yield in the Pahrump groundwater basin, King said. As an alternative they could ask water rights holders to prove beneficial use of water within five years by state law, which was done in another hydrographic basin, he said. Or they could designate Pahrump a critical management area, under the new state legislation.
The state shall designate a critical management area upon receipt of a petition signed by the majority of certificated holders of water rights, or the state can use its discretion to designate one, King said.
Studies conservatively estimate Pahrump has 12,000 acre feet of perennial yield, replenishment of the aquifer, though the state engineer’s office believes the recharge is in the neighborhood of 20,000 to 30,000 acre feet per year, according to Rick Felling, Nevada Division of Water Resources chief of hydrology. But Pahrump Valley has permitted water rights allowing the withdrawal of up to 62,500 acre feet of water, he said. That doesn’t include 11,100 domestic wells in the valley.
Pahrump Valley has the potential to have 20,000 domestic wells drilled with 8,500 undeveloped parcels in excess of one acre, that would each be entitled to a well, Felling said.
“I hate to think 10 years from now we’re having another meeting out here, there’s 50,000 acre feet of pumping, water levels are declining, domestic wells have dried up, sanded up and we lost 10 years of opportunity to do something different,” King said.
Felling said pumping rates in Pahrump Valley have declined to a 60-year low after the end of farming in Pahrump Valley, when pumping reached a peak of more than 45,000 acre feet in 1967 after 15 years of withdrawals over 35,000 acre feet per year. The downturn in the economy is contributing to a drop in water usage in recent years, he said, now mostly for domestic purposes, as pumping levels fell to 13,300 acre feet in 2011, he said.
Some springs, like the Manse Spring, have recovered and are now flowing at the surface, Felling said. But other springs have dropped consistently over the long term, he said.
“Heavy pumping in the 1960s and 70s had a heavy effect on water tables in the valley,” Felling said.
“We don’t think the average domestic well pumps two acre feet in Pahrump Valley. We think on average they pump about a half an acre-foot per year,” Felling said. An acre foot is 326,000 gallons, or enough to fill an acre of land a foot deep. Domestic well owners have a right to use up to two acre feet per year by state law.
“Pahrump really stands out, the largest density of domestic wells over the largest area by far in the state,” Felling said.
There has been 30 to 60 feet of water level decline across the Pahrump basin since 1950, he said.
“If water really continues to decline, there’s the potential some of the shallow, really productive aquifers could become dewatered,” Felling said.
Felling said a drop in water levels could cause increased costs to pump water out of wells; could create conflicts with existing water rights holders, cause potential productive aquifers to become dewatered and subsidence in areas with hydrocollapsible soils.
Pahrump has a problem with subsidence due to some soils like caliche, dewatering from irrigation and fault line activity, Felling said.
“Right now there’s not a whole lot of development going on; we’re having the last amount of pumping in 60 years, it could be easy for someone to say what’s the problem? Water levels are coming up,” King said. “Well, now is the perfect time to take care of this issue the best we can.”
The state engineer suggested some solutions: interconnecting systems, consolidation of utilities, increasing water rights dedications required for parcels and subdivisions, ordinances requiring water conservation measures like xeriscaping, even importing water from other basins, like the Las Vegas Valley Water Authority is planning.
“I believe it’s in the best interest right now of the stakeholders to be an integral part of the solution, not wait for the state engineer’s office to begin regulating on authority,” King said. “I believe a critical management designation needs to be strongly considered by all the stakeholders in this basin.”
Resident Kathy Mueller asked why the state engineer’s office allowed all the housing and development to be approved if they knew this was going on. She accused the state engineer’s office of using lopsided facts and outdated 2005 studies.
“Nobody can tell me how much rainfall in the Spring Mountains is replenishing the basin,” she said. “It looks like things are leveling out, so it looks like getting government to regulate it and I moved to Pahrump so that wouldn’t happen.”
“We’re in a lull. Why put more of an onus on people who are pumping?” Mueller asked.
Steve Beitman complained a lot of the steps seemed to be aimed at domestic wells.
Tim Hafen said the state engineer required the dedication of three times the water rights for his subdivision than would be used.
“We have substantial water in northern Nye County. How could we have access to that water before Las Vegas gets it?” John Klenke asked.
King said building a pipeline to Pahrump would be expensive and require getting permits to cross public land, which comprises 85 percent of Nevada.
An audience member asked about the deep, carbonate aquifer below Pahrump. Felling said that carbonate aquifer is very deep and it would be prohibitively expensive to drill for water.
King told the audience, “Our office does not have the market cornered on how to manage this basin. You’re the ones that live in the basin. Let’s start working together.”
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- Mark Waite / Pahrump Valley Times – State Engineer Jason King gave a presentation Tuesday evening at the Bob Ruud Community Center. He says Pahrump must act to avoid potential water restrictions in the future.
It is always better to do the long range planning sooner rather than later. This does not mean restrictions will be put in place now or even in the next several years. Long range planning controls the rate of growth based on water availability. This was put in place in California years ago. It meant that those proposing large housing or industrial development had to address the availability of water issue in their permit applications. This is just common sense for all of us who depend on wells and the underground water supply.
It’s time for the state and county to protect private well owners by limiting residential and water intensive commercial construction in the valley.
Looks like the economy has done that for us!
“Steve Beitman complained a lot of the steps seemed to be aimed at domestic wells.”
Yes, if they cant use incorporation to cap or meter your wells, they will create a “crisis” out of thin air to take away your water rights.
Well people, be ready, they are coming for your wells with this one. By the looks of the other “well owners” story this week, it also looks like the attack is on for septic systems as well.
It all comes together nicely doesn’t it? First the government buys up a local water utility, then the water rules start in. You can count on rationing like Las Vegas in a year or so IF you let them get away with it.
Any threat to pollution of the aquifer needs to be looked at…not only septic but industrial. I know what I am saying. I grew up back east in an area depending on wells drawing on an aquifer as our only source of water. An abandoned Grayhound bus depot’s underground diesel tanks leaked into the aquifer poisoning it. I remember our family of 6 having to live for over a year on water carted to our house in 20 gallon buckets by my father as our only water supply until a pipeline could be layed for miles to bring us safe potable water. Many underground water supplies in Los Angeles county were polluted by industrial waste that was dumped on the ground. That water source was shut off and cost millions to clean up. It is not fun when this happens and I would not like to see the underground water that all of us in Pahrump depend on poisoned by pollution from any source.
Carol…the studies aren’t going after industrial leakage, they are targeting well/septic owners. Wish they would take a closer look at Utilities Inc.
Roger, when things pick up and Focus builds out on the 3,000 sq ft lots down at the south end we will all be going thirsty. The lie about Pahrump being on top of a HUGE aquifer was just that…a lie propagated by Preferred Equity before they took the money and ran.
Oh I wont disagree with you on that. We are at the limit of what our aquifer can handle.. here is my problem. Once they put water rationing in place for you and me, will they STILL have the gall to demand Harley world, and shopping malls all over as well as more development.
Somehow I suspect local government will have no problem capping my well, while letting developers here run crazy and loose building malls, making us a city, and putting in a massive amusement park (Harley world) and we the people will have zero say in it. Quite frankly they need to stop any and all development in this town, and let the residents have the water, not more malls, restaurants, and amusement parks.
Roger, that’s a great comment. I forgot about the proposal to build a water park here. LOL. What a circus. The county tells us we are at a ‘critical management’ stage, but approves additional development and studies that include A WATER PARK. LOL
kam, I think it was the town that did the water park, it’s Harley’s idea.
This can be contributed to the Del Phi theory/technique look it up on the internet and read. The issue here is the fact that we who live here in Pahrump need to let the state know that we want to stay rural. We don’t need any supper charge business that will suck up our local water. We do need business here but we need to think rationally about what kind of business we need. Second there are land holders in the this valley just waiting for right time to to begin track home projects for the overflow from Las Vegas They’re thinking of making Pahrump a bedroom community for Vegas just remember once the water is in the control of the metering companies we will get screwed. I would suggest that we all start watching our backs and our pocketbooks and our wells.
There is one more thing the state needs to do, and that is take a real long look at creating water shed storage. We have plenty of areas here in Nevada ware we can help the environment by creating reservoirs that will preserve wild life, water reclamation and jobs. Do this by creating a workable water system.
It’s no secret the valley is over allocated on water rights and if all water rights holders decided to pump their allocations, the valley would dry up in very short order. It doesn’t take a genius to see we need to plan ahead to manage our water resources. If we don’t, we will be dictated by the State Engineer and I don’t think we will like what they will do.
This has nothing to do with the government telling us what to do, it’s about the citizens seizing control of our own destiny.
Alan Greenspan, I believe, once said that Greed cannot be regulated. As long as Pahrump has Greedy politicians like Harley, who wants to build a County Fair Ground, (think about the water use if that happens) or Greedy Focus who want to build a bunch of house (more water use), Pahrump is doomed water wise. A moratorium for further construction should be enacted until a plan is developed for water conservation in Pahrump. But we all know that will never happen.
I think Mountain Falls should do away with all there green areas which looks great but is not needed in the desert. Plus put everyone on one system get rid of all these wells. We nwed the town to grow.
While I agree with you on golf courses, sorry, but the town is not going to grow at MY expense. I have been out here long before most, I paid to drill my well, and no one is going to take it away from me just so these few soccer moms can have more shopping malls and something for their kids to do.
Why do we need to grow the town? I moved here because it is a small town, I would prefer it stay that way and those of you that want something bigger can move to something bigger. Leave the town and my well alone.
The first thing to go should be the prison. Locals didn’t want it to begin with and it was questionable politics and apparent graft that got it here to begin with. Second to go should be any idea of a water park. If you want to put in new regulations put it on future growth of Pahrump, not on current residents and tax payers.
The detention facility was approved with overwhelming support of the citizens of Pahrump. There was a very vocal minority who were against it, but, as I said, they were a very small minority. And to insinuate there was graft or anything like it is an insult to the citizens who worked to win this for our town. There were well noticed open meetings when the zoning was contemplated, when the development agreement was negotiated and when the contracts were awarded. Everything was done in the open and there were very few who showed up to speak against it, and those are the same people who will stand in line to speak against just about anything.
The detention facility pumps hundreds of thousands of dollars into the tax coffers, they have been a good neighbor supporting local events and have been practically unseen by most of the people in town. Actually, if one didn’t know they were there, they couldn’t tell.
Please, don’t disparage and cast aspersions on those who see a vision of Pahrump and are willing to work to see that vision come to fruition.
I don’t see it the way you do You Know Who. First they had to bybass the law that said prisons weren’t allowed within x many feet of residential property. Once they figured how to bypass the law, with no intention of building a prison, a prison sprigs up. Somebody got paid somewhere. Similar to what they tried to do with the law they said was unconstitutional with no intentions of incorporating.
Please leave the “we” out of it. Personally, I’d rather see the town shrink or stay the same size, instead of grow. Its just fine the way it is.
If we really are in a critical management state, why does Mountain Falls & Lakeside pump water 24/7 into lakes where our precious water is evaporating? Why are there always puddles of water in the roadway across from Ace Hardware? Why does the county approve additional RV hookups and new housing development? Why are people allowed to grow & water grass?
It just doesn’t make sense that the waste of water and approval of additional developments have to be born on the backs of the well owners. We’re being used as scapegoats for poor planning. Someone is profiting from this un-common sense approach. Developers? public officials?
Something just doesn’t make sense. Use current data (not from 2000 or 2005) and studies before making rash decisions. How much water is being pumped into Mountain Falls daily? How much water is evaporating daily? Should be very easy to find out. Go after the waste, people, not the tax-paying citizens.
If this town is still sucker enough to build a water park after LV just announced that TWO are scheduled to be built by 2014 then they deserve it. Oh but because an HVAC repairman says its a great idea it becomes reality. Very sad indeed.
The state water engineer office is part of the problem. Use it or leave it policy means water right owners must use water even when they prefer to not pump. If they don’t follow that rule they can lose their water rights. Rights issued almost a century ago. It gets worse. read the recently created Nye county water district. They have dictatorial powers. here’s the link. http://leg.state.nv.us/SpecialActs/57-NyeCountyWater.html
Hi Truth…The water board was created about a year ago, they have already added a $5 per parcel tax to all land owners to pay for their existance. They wanted it to be $8 per parcel but enough folks pithed a fit about another tax that they were nice enough to lower it to $5. This board now has control over all the water in Nye County…remember in he upcoming elections that it was your current county commissioners that created this board.
BY the way, from what I’ve read there are about 5 parcels in one acre of Land. Hence if you own a one acre plot, your taxes go up $25. The funny part everyone was trying to point out at the offset is that some folks don’t own wells and shouldn’t have to pay a tax, but in the end they still have to pay, some folks have one well on 5 acres and have to pay for every parcel they own and some folks have a well on a 1/4 acre but only has to pay about $5 for the same privledge of one well that the guy with one well on five acres has to pay $125 for. Does this make any sense to you? I believe if there is a tax imposed it should be per well.
” I believe if there is a tax imposed it should be per well.”
So if UI has a well that services 100 families they pay $5 and the 100 families pay nothing ??