(Grass Valley, CA Oct. 15, 2021) – On Nov. 9, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) will kick off its crucial Plan for Water (PFW) process.

The PFW will be a comprehensive look at the potential limitations of NID’s available water supply and the long-term impacts on varying water demands in order to determine the best ways to meet the community’s demand for water over the coming decades.

The kickoff meeting will focus on an overview of the District’s water system from the top of the watershed to the bottom. It’s the first of nine stages of the process, which is expected to span 18 months.

The Plan for Water will be a vital tool for NID’s water management in the future. The Plan itself will consist of a suite of possible supply and demand management strategies to address a range of future conditions. When complete, the Plan will show how future water supply and demand scenarios may be integrated to ensure the community enjoys the same high-quality, reliable water system it has now and for the past 100 years.

How to get involved

The PFW will benefit from public engagement that increases our community’s understanding of water resource supply challenges; considers the community’s long-term plans and priorities; and listens to and learns from our community. Public collaboration is key, and residents are invited to participate. Previous public input through PFW engagement efforts will be brought forward as we move through the process.

“We welcome input from all interested residents,” said NID’s General Manager Jennifer Hanson. “Overall, development of the Plan for Water will benefit from public involvement. This process will increase community understanding of our water resource supply and water demand challenges. We look forward to listening to and learning from community members.”

• For updates and information, join the Plan for Water mail list here.  
• View the Plan for Water main calendar here.

Why do we need the Plan for Water?

Long-range planning involves forecasting and projecting future conditions based on realistic, valid, and supportive assumptions, which are supported by industry standards and reasonable methodology developments. This involves an integrated, comprehensive evaluation that is data- and science-driven.

The Plan for Water will not identify specific programs or projects needed to meet future water demand. Instead, the Plan will develop a range of potential scenarios to guide decisions that will be used to weigh the impact on the District, the community and the environment. 

The Nine Stages of the Plan for Water

In all, development of the Plan will take about 18 months, and include nine stages. The stages are the following:

• Stage 1: Water System Overview
• Stage 2: Water Rights Overview
• Stage 3: Strategic Planning
• Stage 4: Basis for Plan for Water
• Stage 5: Hydrology and Hydrography
• Stage 6: Demand
• Stage 7: Water Supply Needs
• Stage 8: Strategy Options
• Stage 9: Evaluate Strategies

“Water is a finite resource, and through good planning and awareness by everyone in our community, NID will be able to safeguard the water supply so that our community will continue to thrive,” Hanson said.

In preparation to the Nov. 9 meeting, the NID Board of Directors will be receiving an overview of the process at its Oct. 21 Board Meeting. See the agenda here. 

See you at the Nov. 9 meeting.

Read more about the Plan’s nine stages here.  

For general questions about the Plan for Water, see NID’s website at https://www.nidwater.com/plan-for-water.