Average Annual Carryover Storage – stored water in NID reservoirs held in reserve for droughts, emergency supply to avoid water shortages, and to meet environmental flow requirements averaged over a number of years.

AWMP – Agricultural Water Management Plan – required by the state of California to be submitted every five years (see more information in How NID uses Water Planning Projections).

Carryover Storage – water stored in NID reservoirs held in reserve for droughts or for emergency supply to avoid water shortages, and to meet environmental flow requirements. For NID this is the water remaining in reservoir storage at the end of the irrigation season, around October 15. This is NID second largest source of water.

Climate Change – the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable.

Contract Purchases – A contract NID has with PGE to provide a specific amount of water to NID annually. In an average year the amount is 7,500 acre feet per year.

Current Average Treated and Raw Water Demand – The current average annual demand from all customers for all types of NID water is 165,000 acre-feet. This includes the amount of treated drinking water, irrigation water and the amount of water required to maintain minimum flows for the environment. Approximately 85% percent of NID’s annual demand is made up of raw water/agricultural demand during the irrigation season.

Drought Contingency Plan – A document to guide staff and customers to help minimize drought or water supply shortage impacts. The plan identifies drought action levels, appropriate agency responses, water demand reduction goals, and provides recommended demand management measures to assist customers in water conservation. See more here: 

Drought Management Plan – A requirement under State Executive Order SB-37-16, to submit a five-year drought risk assessment.
Environmental Flows – regulatory set minimum water flows that must be contributed from NID’s water rights that are required to be moving through a creek or river for fish and aquatic resources.

FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Mutual Water Companies/Water Associations – California’s mutual water companies are owned by property owners and provide water service in rural areas that have no alternative supplies.

NID – Nevada Irrigation District

Store and Release System – A system that uses reservoirs to store snow melt and seasonal rains for release later, typically during the dry irrigation seasons.

TM – Technical Memorandum – a document used to detail each study: the Hydrologic Analysis, Water Supply Analysis, and Water Demand Projection.

Total Water Demand – the components of total water demand are raw or irrigation water demand, treated or drinking water demand, environmental flows, system losses, and municipal purchases.

Treated Water – Water that has passed through a treatment plant to meet drinking water standards and sent to homes and business via tap for consumption.

UWMP – Urban Water Management Plan – required by the state of California to be submitted every five years (see more information in How NID uses Water Planning Projections).

Unimpaired flow – the flow of water through creeks and rivers with no man-made influence such as dams or diversions.

Watershed– an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas. NID’s watersheds start in the headwaters of the Yuba River and Bear River and Deer Creek.

Water Planning Projections – Three reports that inform NIDs planning efforts. They are: the Hydrologic Analysis, Water Supply Analysis, and the Water Demand Analysis.