AB104
AN ACT relating to water; requiring the State Engineer to retire certain groundwater rights; revising provisions relating to temporary permits to appropriate groundwater; creating the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program; creating the Account for Retiring Water Rights; establishing the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program; requiring the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase certain water rights with money from the Account for the purpose of retiring those water rights; revising provisions relating to the program to provide grants of money to pay certain costs related to water conservation and capital improvements to water systems; revising provisions relating to a program to pay the costs for property owners to connect to a community sewerage disposal system under certain circumstances; revising certain legislative declarations relating to clean water and water pollution; authorizing the State Environmental Commission to establish a water quality standard variance; revising provisions relating to an irrigation water efficiency monitoring program established by the Southern Nevada Water Authority; revising provisions relating to membership on the Advisory Committee for the Management of Groundwater in the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Close title AN ACT relating to water; requiring the State Engineer to retire certain groundwater rights; revising provisions relating to temporary permits to appropriate groundwater; creating the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program; creating the Account for Retiring Water Rights; establishing the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program; requiring the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase certain water rights with money from the Account for the purpose of retiring those water rights; revising provisions relating to the program to provide grants of money to pay certain costs related to water conservation and capital improvements to water systems; revising provisions relating to a program to pay the costs for property owners to connect to a community sewerage disposal system under certain circumstances; revising certain legislative declarations relating to clean water and water pollution; authorizing the State Environmental Commission to establish a water quality standard variance; revising provisions relating to an irrigation water efficiency monitoring program established by the Southern Nevada Water Authority; revising provisions relating to membership on the Advisory Committee for the Management of Groundwater in the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Introduction Date
Friday, January 17, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Assembly Committee on Natural Resources
Public exhibits
12
Support 6 · Opp 1 · Neutral 2
Auditor findings
0
recusal 0 · QPQ 0
AN ACT relating to water; requiring the State Engineer to retire certain groundwater rights; revising provisions relatin
Existing law requires the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to make grants to state agencies, local governments, water conservancy districts, conservation districts and certain nonprofit organizations to protect, preserve and obtain the benefits of the property and natural and cultural resources of this State and requires the Director to adopt regulations to make such grants. (Section 2 of Assembly Bill No. 84, chapter 480, Statutes of Nevada 2019, at page 2861) Existing regulations establish the Nevada Conservation and Recreation Program to make such grants. (LCB File No. R025-22) Section 8 of this bill creates the Program in statute. Section 8 further provides that the Program consists of a grant program to make such grants and the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program. Section 14 of this bill provides that the Program is within the Department. Section 13 of this bill applies the definitions in existing law relating to the Department to the provisions of sections 8-10 of this bill. Under existing law, any person who wishes to appropriate public waters, or to change the place of diversion, manner of use or place of use of water already appropriated, must apply to the State Engineer for a permit to do so. (NRS 533.325) Existing law further provides that all underground waters within the boundaries of the State are subject to appropriation for beneficial use only under the laws of this State relating to the appropriation and use of water. (NRS 5
NELIS exhibits (12 on file)
Support (6)
- Mauricia Baca — Nature Conservancy (Testimony)
- Laura McSwain — Water Fairness Coalition (Testimony)
- Lisa Wang — AquiSave (Letter)
- Kevin Moran — Environmental Defense Fund Action .pdf (Letter)
- The Nature Conservancy (Testimony)
- The PEW Charitable Trust (Testimony)
Opposition (1)
- Diane Henry (Testimony)
Neutral (2)
- (unattributed) (Testimony)
- (unattributed) (Testimony)
Bill text + amendments: view on NELIS →