Water Master Kelly Herwick reported to the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District Board on Tuesday, March 14, that the current level of Lahontan Reservoir was 141,494 acre-feet, with inflows from the Carson River near Ft. Churchill nearing 6,000 cubic feet per second, and outflows into the Carson River below the dam at just over 3,000 cfs.
The board then heard a forecasting report from the National Weather Service Staffer Tim Bardsley who said the next atmospheric river was currently moving in, and another is expected in the middle of next week, with snow expected then. Bardsley also said that the snow-pack at lower elevations is comparable to the 2017 flooding event, however at Ebbetts Pass, in the high elevations, the snow-pack is at 217%, which is the highest on record.
With that in mind, the Board of Directors set the allocation for the 2023 water year at 100% for the Carson Division of the Newlands Project. Because the Truckee Canal is currently shut down for the Extraordinary Maintenance project required by the Bureau of Reclamation to line portions of the canal through the Fernley stretch, there will be no allocation for the Truckee Division.
Board members discussed making it a priority to deliver water to the Truckee Division water right holders should the maintenance project be completed early. The project is slated to be completed on October 1, and the water season can run through November 15.
The board agreed to begin the water season on March 14.
The board approved contracting with Hinton Burdick to prepare the annual review for $12,000. The district is required to have a review every year and a full audit every five years under its contract with the Bureau of Reclamation.
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