Upon facing the fourth year of consecutive drought, the Nevada Drought Forum formed in April 2015 by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to assist with water resource challenges in the State of Nevada. The Forum was comprised of members representing various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies in charge of managing water resources in the State. In September 2015, a Drought Summit was held at the Nevada Legislature, where those involved discussed many of the drought problems Nevada is facing, and numerous presentations were offered on these issues. At the conclusion of the Forum activities, and in December 2015, the Governor was presented with a Recommendations Report summarizing the conclusions made by the Form, and proposed future action.
The Drought Forum recommendations come in seven (7) categories including: 1) Water Conservation, 2) Nevada Water Law, 3) Monitoring and Research Data, 4) Financial and Technical Assistance, 5) Supply Augmentation and Long-Range Planning, 6) Information Sharing and Outreach, and 7) Drought Declarations/Emergency Actions. Each category offers specific suggested action items for the Governor’s consideration. Strategies include requiring meters on all groundwater connections, tiered rate structures, updates to Nevada water law, judicial education on water issues, and refinement to drought criteria, among others.
At this stage, no specific action is taking place on the issues presented; however, the conversation is started on where Nevada will head in response to ongoing drought conditions. While real action can sometimes take years to implement, the Recommendations come as a positive sign that Governor Sandoval is interested in suggested strategies advocated by water professionals around the state. There remains time for those interested in becoming involved to voice their concerns and positions with the Governor in upcoming events dedicated to this ongoing discussion.
For more information about the Governor’s Drought Form visit http://drought.nv.gov/.
For Additional information concerning the Recommendations Report visit http://drought.nv.gov/News/Nevada_Drought_Forum__Recommendations_Report_-_December_2015/.
