Editor's note: The following is an open letter addressed to Jason King, state water engineer, as written by Winnemucca resident Joe Ratliff.
I live in Grass Valley, Nev., on a five acre parcel, approximately 10 miles south of Winnemucca on Alice Lane.
I am writing you today to, once again, express my serious concerns regarding the serious drought and temperature conditions we have been experiencing in this hydrographic basin for a number of years.
I am a retired federal hydrologist and I have been regularly monitoring my domestic well since December 1, 2004. The static water level on that date was 161 feet. Today, I took a reading and the static water level is 180 feet. So, during a period of just over 10 years, the ground water aquifer at my location has dropped an alarming 19 feet!
My current well is the second which has been drilled on the property after the original shallower well went dry many years ago. Many of the other residents in this area have also had to either deepen their wells or drill new ones during this period.
Obviously, water usage in this area has been over allocated and far exceeds natural recharge rates, especially during these extreme/exceptional droughts and the record setting temperatures which have been occurring in recent years.
My neighbors and I live in close proximity to very extensive agricultural operations which utilize huge pivot systems. They irrigate thousands of acres of high water consumptive crops (e.g. alfalfa, etc.). When they commence irrigating in the spring, my static water level drops precipitously because of the cones of depression these irrigation systems create. Since my current static level is now at 180 feet during the non-growing season, I am afraid that the pump will go dry when they start irrigating this spring.
Today, I read that your office held public meetings about a week ago to discuss the water resources situation in the Humboldt River Hydrographic Basin. And that you were requesting written comments from persons who did not attend.
Please consider the following as my formal comments concerning this serious situation.
The US Drought Monitor Service currently has this area classified as under exceptional drought conditions which is the worse rating possible. Therefore, I urge you to declare this area under the same exceptional drought conditions and implement a basin-wide curtailment order to begin prior to this irrigation season. I commend you for doing such in Mason and Smith Valleys, but we are also in dire straits in this valley.
Furthermore, and just as important, all future water rights applications for this area should be denied until it is proven by systematic hydrologic monitoring and other relevant data that the groundwater aquifers have stabilized and/ or are recovering.
I also request, if you haven't done so already, that you contact the city of Winnemucca, and Humboldt/ Pershing Counties and instruct them to implement drought contingency plans and strict water conservation measures as soon as possible. As far as I know, they are now doing little or nothing to address these serious water problems. I have personally contacted their representatives on a number of occasions, over the years, to discuss these issues and they regularly ignore my concerns.
I would appreciate a timely and specific response to this communication.
Joe Ratliff
Winnemucca
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