August 26, 2020

The Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors accepted the recommendation of the Water Rates Committee to implement a rate increase adopted in the water rates package approved last year. The decision was made during the Aug. 26 teleconference with President Ricki Heck, and Directors Scott Miller, Nick Wilcox and Laura Peters all present. Vice President Chris Bierwagen was absent.

The Board accepted the recommendation of the Water Rates Committee to implement the rate increase adopted in the water rates package approved in 2019, and not pursue any additional immediate rate-setting actions. However, Directors agreed the Committee should continue to meet to consider a subsidy for agricultural water customers. Read more about the water rates recommendation here.

The interim General Manager reported District water storage is 211,395 acre-feet, which is 78 percent of maximum capacity and 104 percent of a seven-year average for the water year. There has been no measurable precipitation at Bowman Lake for the period ending Aug. 19.

Conservation saw a 14 percent improvement in August compared to water use during the same time in 2013, which started the most recent severe drought in modern times. Customers have been averaging about an 11 percent reduction each month.

The next regular meeting of the NID Board of Directors will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 via videoconference. NID Board meetings are open to the public.

Note on videoconferencing: The video conference format allows the Board to meet, respect social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while also allowing the public to participate and provide public comment. Today’s meeting will also be posted on YouTube.

Full details and instructions for how to access each meeting will be provided on the front page of agendas, located on NID’s website. Click on an agenda for specific details about that meeting.