April 14, 2020

Like it has for generations, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) is ready to begin seasonal irrigation water deliveries to customers throughout Nevada and Placer counties. This year the water is scheduled to start flowing on Wednesday, April 15.

NID’s 500 miles of canal deliver irrigation water to about 5,600 customers who irrigate more than 30,000 acres of farms and fields. Most purchase their water on a seasonal basis during the irrigation season, which runs from mid-April through mid-Oct. 14. In addition, NID’s deliveries fill ponds and reservoirs for stock watering, fire suppression and recreation.

At the April 8 meeting, NID Directors supported the declaration for surplus water. Reservoir storage is at 212,289 acre-feet – 95 percent of average – as of March 31. In total, the forecasted available water supply for the year is 291,000 acre-feet, well above the 235,700 acre-feet threshold for normal operations.

“As everyone knows, it’s been a dry winter. We’ve finally received precipitation to give us some breathing room. Data supports we have an ample supply of water, so we can declare a surplus water supply,” Operations Manager Chip Close told Directors during the April 8 meeting.

NID’s irrigation water customers connect into the canal systems to irrigate pastures for cattle, sheep and horses, as well as on farms to grow crops, ranging from grapes, apples and citrus to berries and corn. In addition, and importantly, NID’s raw water deliveries fill ponds and reservoirs for stock watering, fire suppression and recreation throughout the District.

For nearly 100 years, the Nevada Irrigation District has been delivering water to our customers in Nevada, Placer and Yuba counties. What began as an old reservoir and canal system serving gold mines has been transformed into a modern water distribution system. NID water originates as snowmelt found in 70,000 acres of high elevation watershed near the headwaters of the Yuba River, Bear River and Deer Creek. NID stores water in 27 reservoirs later moving it through one of seven treatment plants and hundreds of miles of canal and pipe to become drinking and irrigation water for 25,000 homes, farms and businesses. The annual result is three billion gallons of high quality drinking water for our customers and 30,000 acres of irrigated agricultural land. We deliver water for life. Learn more at www.nidwater.com