CSPA and allies in the Foothills Water Network submitted 25 pages of comments today on the analysis Nevada Irrigation District (NID) must perform to inform decision making about a proposed new dam on the Bear River.
NID’s proposes to build a new 110,000 acre-foot reservoir with a 275 foot-tall dam on the Bear River. “Centennial Dam” would inundate six miles of the Bear River, flooding a popular campground, more than 25 homes and 120 parcels, and a river crossing that is critical to public safety.
In its letter to NID, the Network asks NID to describe how its $300 million project would actually operate to meet a long list of stated goals. Many of the goals appear contradictory, such as the one that proposes to benefit the Delta by diverting more water, and others that promise to both serve new development and provide drought protection. The Network suggests a range of alternative actions that NID must consider, such as repairing or modifying its aging facilities, improving canal efficiency, incentivizing water conservation on semi-rural estates, stopping leaks, and metering water.