Applications again open for voluntary water rights retirements in Diamond Valley

The application deadline is Aug. 5, 2024

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (CNRWA) is opening a second round of applications to retire groundwater rights in Diamond Valley on July 15, 2024.

Due to strong interest in the voluntary water rights retirement program, CNRWA was granted an increase in funding from the Nevada Water Conservation and Infrastructure Initiative (WCII). The funding will enable the permanent retirement of over 10,000 acre-feet of groundwater in Diamond Valley from previously approved applicants and leave about $1.4 million remaining to retire additional groundwater water rights from willing owners in Diamond Valley.

Applications will be accepted electronically at: https://cnrwa.com/grrp/or can be mailed or delivered to:

Eureka County Natural Resources

P.O. Box 682

701 S. Main St.

Eureka, NV 89316

The deadline to apply is August 5, 2024. To get an application, go online at the links above or contact Jeff Fontaine at 775-443-7667.

Water rights in the Diamond Valley Basin 153 are valued at $800 per acre-foot. An additional $50 per acre-foot of retired groundwater is available for mitigation.

New applications will be prioritized separately based on the priority system adopted by the CNRWA Board and will not affect the priority of applications that have already been approved for funding. Applicants who were approved in the initial round can submit a second application to retire additional water rights, which will be prioritized along with other applications submitted in the second round.

“We are encouraged by the strong interest in CNRWA’s voluntary groundwater rights retirement program in Diamond Valley. The increase in WCII funding from the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will retire an additional 1,600 acre-feet of water rights which will help stabilize groundwater levels in Diamond Valley,” said Jeff Fontaine, CNRWA’s director.

For more information, contact Fontaine at ccjfontaine@gmail.com.

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages the program, which is supported by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.