The Nevada Irrigation District is now acknowledging that the majority of their water rights in the Bear and Yuba Rivers are included the the recent state curtailment order. It says the order, from the State Water Resources Control Board, was taken to preserve water needed to protect future supplies, prevent salinity intrusion, and minimize environmental impacts, including to fish. NID Water Operations Manager, Chip Close, says this means they must limit diversion of natural flows to fill their reservoirs. But he says the order will not apply to water already in their system…

click to listen to Chip Close

But Close says if the drought continues this winter, the order could stay in place into next year. He says that would affect NID’s ability to capture and store winter runoff from the Bear and Yuba watersheds for later deliveries to customers…

click to listen to Chip Close

And Close says what’s unprecedented is that the order impacts water rights going back to 1850 instead of 1914. This is the third driest year for NID since 1900.