Kayakers paddle on a newly refilled Walker Lake. Photo special to The R-C by the Walker Basin Conservancy
The Walker Basin Conservancy announced a new water rights acquisition that permanently conserves water for the region’s environment.
The Conservancy successfully acquired surface water rights to benefit Walker Lake totaling 617.60 acre feet of New Land storage rights. Additionally, the Conservancy acquired an additional 596.4 acre feet of supplemental groundwater rights in Smith Valley that will be permanently conserved. The acquired water has historically served two Smith ranches from the West Walker River, and the appurtenant land will remain in production under new ownership
With this acquisition, the Conservancy now owns 57 percent of the water required for the long-term restoration of Walker Lake.
By boosting freshwater inflows to the Lake from the Walker River, the total dissolved solids will be reduced to a level that the water can again sustain native species such as the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the Tahoe sucker.
The groundwater will be permanently relinquished with the State of Nevada, protecting it from future extraction and further stabilizing groundwater tables in Smith Valley. This action reduces impacts of groundwater withdrawal on the Walker River, supports long-term agricultural production, and helps align water use with available resources in the region. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded this transaction through the Walker Basin Restoration Program. This partnership provides matching federal funding to the Nevada Water Conservation and Infrastructure Initiative, launched by the State of Nevada in 2024.
The Walker Basin Conservancy is a nonprofit that leads efforts to increase the flows of the Walker River and restore a fishery at Walker Lake while protecting agricultural, environmental, and recreational interests throughout the Walker Basin. Over the last decade, the Conservancy has worked with 157 farmers and ranchers on temporary and permanent water rights transactions and has relinquished more than 11,000 acre-feet of groundwater since 2014.