With water once again flowing from Lake Spaulding to reservoirs in the foothills, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors has lifted its emergency water shortage declaration. The decision was made during the Board’s November 12, 2025 meeting.

The emergency was first declared in March 2024 after severe damage to infrastructure at Lake Spaulding owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) effectively cut off water supplies to NID. Ongoing repairs throughout 2024 and into 2025 meant little to no water flowed from the high-elevation lake to NID’s foothill reservoirs. Without access to normal watershed runoff, the District had to rely on limited storage in Rollins and Scotts Flat reservoirs.

As water supplies continued to decline, the NID Board adopted a resolution on June 26, 2024, implementing mandatory water conservation measures that required all customers to reduce usage by 20 percent.

With the majority of critical repairs now complete and full flow conditions restored, the Board agreed to rescind all resolutions related to the PG&E water supply shortage emergency.

Customers who voluntarily reduced their usage during the emergency will have their prior allotments reinstated. Requests for increases or continued reductions will be processed through the annual change letters, anticipated to be distributed in February.

This declaration will also allow the District to resume new irrigation water sales for the 2026 irrigation season, contingent upon hydrologic conditions.

NID continues to meet weekly with PG&E to discuss system operations, and the utility’s representatives have indicated that while limited spring outages may still occur in 2026 as remaining rehabilitation work is completed, these are expected to be of significantly shorter duration and wrapped up around the start of irrigation season in mid to late April.