Irrigation district reduces water allocations in Carson Division

The Truckke Carson Irrigation Disrict is reducing the annual water supply allocation for water right holders in the Carson Division (Fallon area) of the Newlands Federal Reclamation Project from 85 percent to 75 Percent.

The decision was made by the TCID board of directors at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.

Project Manager Rusty Jardine said this reduction was made necessary because early season water supply forecasts were simply not accurate. Moreover, he said on-going drought, exacerbating already dry soil conditions both in the project and throughout the entire region, has resulted in extraordinarily high water transport and application to field losses.

Subject to the availability of water flow to the Truckee Canal from the Truckee River, however, Jardine said the allocation for water right holders in the Truckee Division of the Newlands Project will remain at 85 percent.

“Water is expected to be available to the Truckee Division through mid-September this year,” he said.

In order to lengthen the irrigation season in the Carson Division, he said the Board will institute a temporary delivery shutdown from Sept. 1 through Sept. 16. Jardine said the shutdown is expected to extend the end-of-season date for the Carson Division through Oct. 1. As in past years and without regard to any proposed season ending date, he said the season will end when a minimum pool of 4,000 acre-feet of water has been reached at Lahontan Reservoir.

“We encourage all water users to carefully coordinate their water deliveries with the District Water Master (scheduler) and our ditch-riders and conserve water wherever possible,” Jardine said. “In order to maximize delivery efficiency this year, water users should contact the ditch-rider two hours prior to the end time of a delivery run. This process will allow transfer of the water to the next water user timely and without waste.”