Despite the recent atmospheric river that brought us a record amount of rainfall, our community faces long-term challenges of drought and climate change. We are fortunate to get our water straight from the source, as snowmelt from 70,000 acres of high elevation watershed near the headwaters of the Yuba River, Bear River and Deer Creek.

We must remember this precious resource is finite, and we cannot take it for granted. For 100 years, the Nevada Irrigation District has stood by its mission to provide a dependable, quality water supply; continue to be good stewards of the watersheds, while conserving the available resources in our care.

As we look to the future, we need to be cognizant of the varied challenges, and we must continue to provide reliable water for our community. Climate change may reduce the amount of useable source water, while the increasing number of water demands press us to carefully consider how we can best preserve and sustain this resource. Our water has no substitute, and smart planning is vital.

Our community has diverse water needs, including those of agriculture crops, pasture lands, business, households, aquatic habitat and the environment. All of these are drivers of our society, and vital for our community to thrive.

NID believes the planning of how we manage our water resource is best served by teaming up and collaborating with water users and stakeholders. To do this, we have initiated a process called the Plan for Water. This process will develop strategic options that reflect a balanced mix of community perspectives and ultimately be an essential tool to guide the District’s water management into the future.

On Nov. 9, NID kicks off the process, which is expected to take 18 months. This is where you come in. Stakeholder involvement is so vitally important. We will depend on public participation to better learn about community concerns and visions. Who is invited to Plan for Water meetings? The process is open to anyone who has an interest in our water resources. That means everyone – ratepayer or non-ratepayer - that will be impacted by outcomes of the Plan for Water. We want to hear from you.

So how do you get involved? Information about the Plan for Water is on NID’s website. You can sign up to receive emails with updates and announcements. The first meeting is at 4 pm on Nov. 9 via a zoom meeting.

That meeting will focus on the first on nine stages, which is an overview of the vast NID system.
The informational discussion will focus on the entire NID water system, from the top of the watershed to the foothills. This will include the reservoirs, distribution system, hydropower infrastructure, recreation facilities, water treatment, interdependencies and the type of location of end users.

We hope to see you during NID’s Plan for Water process to help develop an essential tool to provide sustainably management of our water resources for now and into the future.