December 21, 2024

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established 2021

Walker Basin Conservancy Reports: A Remarkable Summer in the Walker Basin 2023

A Remarkable Summer in the Walker Basin
Written by Walker Basin Conservancy
Tropical Storm Hilary passed through the Walker Basin, bringing rain, increasing flows in the Walker River and setting a new rainfall record for Nevada. Precipitation for the Basin has been close to 200% of median this water year at 57.1 inches so far, just below the maximum ever recorded in 2017. We still have another month left in the current water year, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a little bit more!In addition to help from nature, the Walker River Irrigation District Storage Leasing Program has been releasing storage water to Walker Lake, which has risen more than 15 feet. About 20,000 acre feet of the 25,000 acre feet entered into the Storage Leasing Program has been released from the reservoir and is making its way to Walker Lake. The remainder of the water will make its way instream by the middle of September. On top of the storage leasing program, the Conservancy has sent 15,179 acre feet of decreed program water to the Lake, the largest amount in the history of the program.