Carson City, Lyon County OK water-sharing agreement

By Karen Woodmansee

Appeal Staff Writer

Carson City and Lyon County have joined together in a water-sharing agreement that will allow each to provide water to the other in an emergency.

The agreement, which was approved Thursday by both the Lyon County Commissioners and the Carson City Board of Supervisors, allows Vidler Water Co. to build a pipeline from Carson City to Mound House and Dayton.

It sets fees and lays out the opportunities and responsibilities of each party. Vidler then gets to sell water rights to developers in Lyon County.

Under the agreement, which ever entity receives water will pay 48 cents per 1,000 acre-feet, and Carson City will have the opportunity to lease excess water rights from Lyon County at $50 per acre-foot during times of peak demand.

Lyon County Utilities Director Mike Workman estimates that based on 312 acre-feet, the county can save from $95,000 to $109,000 a year in power and chemical costs. He said he will work closely with Carson City to best implement the water rights leasing based on priority.

"We have to use our resources the best we can," he said.

Workman said the agreement will allow Carson City to defer capital replacement costs.

Ken Arnold, Carson City's Utilities director, said the two have been working on the agreement for about a year.

"It actually gives greater flexibility to both counties in managing their resources," he said. "It affords us a portion of water through the agreement that we can utilize and we'll be able to help each other out in times of need. That will be a great benefit."

Vidler originally proposed the project in which they will build the water line and sell their 75 acre-feet of water rights to developers. The developers who later purchase the water rights will then deed them to the county. Vidler will also deed the infrastructure to the county.

The contract will be in effect through Dec. 31, 2012, and will be renewed every five years, subject to renegotiation.

"It's a new program," Workman said. "We'll have to grow into it."

Lyon County Commissioner Bob Milz said this was the first step to a regional system that someday may extend all the way out to Silver Springs.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.