With a mandatory 20% water-use reduction in place, the Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors on Wednesday discussed the realities of enforcing drought-related restrictions, opting to impose fines for violators.
A resolution adopted by the board lays out a progressively financially punitive course of action in response to excessive or wasteful water use.
The administrative citations begin with a written warning that will specify a date and time by which a person can correct their violation. If the deadline is not met, NID may issue a second administrative citation. If the second violation takes place within 12 months of the first, the district will charge $250 for each. If a third administrative citation is issued within 12 months, then the district demands $500 for each violation cited. A fourth violation, and the individual responsible must pay NID $1,000 for each violation cited.
The Nevada Irrigation District has reviewed the projected supply and demand of drinking and irrigation water to over 25,000 homes, farms and businesses within its boundaries a move needed to update its Urban Water Management Plan.
As a supplier servicing over 3,000 customers with over 3,000 acre feet of water annually, NID is required by the California Department of Water Resources to submit an Urban Water Management Plan once every five years. The plan offers an overview of the district’s water availability and reliability, estimates of past, present and projected water use, and strategies for meeting the community’s changing water needs.
The year 2020 was not a good one for a lot of us, and certainly not for the unfortunate souls and families impacted by the coronavirus. However, there is some good news on the local conservation front. One is that the Bear River between Rollins Reservoir and Lake Combie is still flowing unimpeded by the proposed Centennial Dam. Second, there are positive changes at the Nevada Irrigation District.
To recap, the proposed Centennial Dam is a 275-foot-high dam with a 110,000 acre-feet capacity, flooding the popular Bear River Canyon recreation corridor with a $1,000,000,000 ($1 billion) price tag.
Three of the original architects of the proposed dam left NID in 2020. General Manager Rem Scherzinger resigned, Director Nick Wilcox retired, and Director Scott Miller lost his seat in the 2020 election.