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How Nevada Irrigation District Is Keeping the Water Flowing for Future Generations

Image of the Nevada Irrigation District office building in Grass Valley, CA.

Here at NID, we are working hard to keep water flowing efficiently now and for future generations. It takes a lot of effort to distribute drinking and irrigation water for the District's 25,000 homes, farms, and businesses. And we want to ensure we can continue to keep the way of life just as is for decades to come. 


Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a dependable, quality water supply for the communities we serve.

We have four goals that will help us accomplish this:

  1. Long-Term Infrastructure and Water Supply Reliability NID will plan and invest in infrastructure and water supply reliability to maintain and improve service levels and revenue.
     
  2. Employee Engagement NID will prioritize and invest in our employees to attract and retain top talent and increase employee engagement.
     
  3. Watershed Stewardship and Resiliency NID will protect and improve the quality and health of our watersheds and enhance our water supply.
     
  4. Financial Sustainability NID will develop a sustainable financial model that manages and obtains funds necessary to ensure the long-term delivery of water.
     
  5. Technology & Innovation Investments NID will integrate technology and data collection to increase efficiency, knowledge, and system security to decrease costs and increase production.

At NID, our mission guides us in every aspect of our jobs. Like you and your family, our families drink the same water. It is an honor to fulfill this mission for our community.
 

About Your Water

The water we supply to our community constantly meets and exceeds water quality standards. One way we ensure clean water is by keeping our water clean at its source - the watershed. 

To ensure we're providing safe drinking water to our community, we make it a point to identify any deficiencies that may adversely impact our water. For example, we conduct the Yuba/Bear River Watershed Sanitary Survey to identify activities that may adversely affect our water quality. In addition, we are incredibly diligent about tracking activities near water treatment plants.

The high-quality Yuba/Bear River systems, spanning over approximately 400 square miles in Nevada, Placer, and Sierra Counties, are running efficiently. However, the 2021 Watershed Sanitary Survey highlighted several localized efforts that will further enhance and protect our water supplies for decades. Of course, these efforts will require us to spend more money to make improvements, but they will be well worth it as we are investing in our future.

 

Water Conservation Efforts

It's common knowledge in California that sometimes there's not enough water to go around. To combat this challenge, it takes all of us to make an effort to conserve water. One way we can accomplish this is through xeriscaping. And the good news is you don't have to wait until spring starts. Another way to conserve water is to plan for the gardening season by identifying drought-resistant plants you can grow instead of those requiring tons of water.

By reducing the water you use on your property, you are conserving water and saving money. And if you have children at home, we encourage you to involve them in the process. It's a great way to teach them about water conservation's importance and impact on their community. Plus, it makes a great family activity.

 

Planning

We, too, are planning ahead. One aspect of this is our Plan for Water, a public collaboration to determine how we can best meet the community's water needs now and into the future.

As required by law, we also use water planning projects to make decisions regarding water storage and our delivery infrastructure system. Plus, we continuously hold monthly meetings that are open to the public so everyone has access to this information and can voice concerns.

 

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GCM – CMIP6 | Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6

100 models - 50 modeling centers taken from West Consultants on May 23, 2023.

 

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Emission Scenarios Projection taken from West Consultants on May 23, 2023.

 

Assessing Ways to Mitigate Climate Change

Many of our planning efforts focus on mitigating climate change. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, "The dry periods are hotter and drier, and the wet periods—lately too few and far between—are warmer and often more intense." As we work on our Plan for Water, we must consider this issue. 

Please join us at our upcoming meetings. You can learn more about the current state of our water and participate in discussions on how to mitigate the impacts of climate change so we can continue providing high-quality drinking water well into the future. We welcome your input!

 

Let Us Know What You Think

 

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