Last year, the Nye County Water District Governing Board unanimously adopted a bill to require new subdivision developers to relinquish two acre-feet of water rights for every one acre-foot of planned use — but the law can only go into effect if ratified by the Nye County Commission.
Now, it appears as if the bill will finally move forward. Water board member Michael Lach reported this week that the regulation has been reviewed by the Nye County district attorney and green-lighted for discussion by the commission.
“This didn’t go before the board of county commissioners the first time through because the DA wasn’t comfortable with it,” Lach explained of the delay during the water board’s Feb. 11 meeting. “He wanted to do more research, he wanted to look into a couple of new Supreme Court cases that could be related to it. I had a couple of discussions with him – one of them lasted well over an hour, going back and forth on what had happened in other states and things that had been adjudicated in other areas – and I believe that it will most likely go before the county commission.”
The water board then requested that its county liaison, which this year is commissioner John Koenig, take the bill as passed to Nye County Administration so it can be put on an agenda for ratification.
“Now that we’ve gotten the go-ahead from the district attorney, that he is comfortable moving forward, I don’t foresee that there will be any other reason to keep it off the agenda,” Nye County Water District General Manager Dann Weeks noted.
For the sake of the public’s understanding, water board member Helene Williams added that the measure is intended to provide equality among those reliant on the waters of Pahrump’s Basin No. 162. As matters stand today, those who wish to drill a new domestic well on their private property are required to purchase and then relinquish to the state two acre-feet of water rights, unless they are among the fortunate whose properties have already had water rights relinquished in support of a well.
When doing so, the domestic well owners also agree to a reduced water consumption amount of half an acre-foot of water per year.
“What we’re trying to do is, make this to where it is even across the board,” Williams stressed. “We’re asking that subdivision developers do the right thing and make it fair.”
To view the bill as approved by the water district, visit NyeCountyNv.gov and click on “Meeting Center.” The ordinance is included in the Nye County Water District Governing Board’s Feb. 11 meeting agenda.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com