Sparks City Coun

Opinion

There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills!

Kristopher Dahir, Sparks City Councilman and Vice Chairman of Truckee Meadows Water Authority Board of Directors

The gold I am speaking of flows from the Lake Tahoe Basin in the form of water. One of our most essential commodities to the future of our region are our current and future water resources.

For the last 4 years, as a representative for the City of Sparks, I have been the Vice Chairman of Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA).

Recently, I have seen several articles speaking of there being a drought in our region. This, understandably, causes anxiety for residents as they contemplate continued growth in Sparks, Reno and the Washoe County areas. I hope this article offers some clarity as to where we are in regard to meeting our water needs as well as provide a few resources you can regularly go to for answers to your questions. Often, the local paper will focus on the state of Nevada when covering drought conditions in the western U.S. And, to be sure, there are areas of Nevada that are struggling. This should not be surprising, as we live in a desert. However, our Truckee Meadows Region is not in a drought. The TMWA Board and its staff have worked diligently to assure we have the water reserves we need and regularly consider ways to assure that we have the needed supply of water for our current and future residents. Every five years, we update our Water Resource Plan to help strategically guide water resource management for our community. It is within this plan that you can see how we take into account the impacts of economic, hydrologic and climate conditions on our water supply.

See TMWA’s Water Resource Plan at: https://tmwa.com/ wrp2020/

There are many resources that we rely upon to create the whole portfolio of our local water supply. Lake Tahoe’s flow of water to the Truckee River is one of our most used and reliable sources. We also have stored water rights at Prosser Reservoir, Stampede Reservoir and Boca Reservoir. Additionally, we can utilize reserves from Donner Lake and Independence Lake during drought years as a supplement. This does not take into account our regular use of groundwater (wells). Though 85 percent of our water comes from the flow of the Truckee, the 15 percent of groundwater that is conjunctively used continues to make a significant impact for our region. (Water page 5)

Kristopher Dahir

So, how are we doing right now as it pertains to our water for this year coming?

A great way to keep track of our current water situation is by visiting the water dashboard at our Smart About Water website: https://www.smartaboutwater.com/

My hope is that this information lets you see that each step of growth and planning are well thought out, especially as it pertains to water. You can be rest assured that when you go to your sink to get a refreshing glass of water that not only will it be available but is healthy for you.

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