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Irrigation season begins: water flows as NID balances full reservoirs and low snowpack
Water returns to local canals on April 15, signaling the start of irrigation season for thousands of foothill farmers and ranchers who depend on it each year. As the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) turns the system back on, the annual flow once again brings life to fields, pastures, and gardens across the region. From ranches…
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Reservoirs Are Full. The Sierra Snowpack Isn’t
On paper, it looks like a good water year in Nevada County. Reservoirs throughout the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) are sitting at about 117 percent of their historical average for early March, boosted by a few powerful winter storms and healthy carryover storage from prior years. But high in the Sierra Nevada, where the District’s…
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Why snowpack still matters, even with full reservoirs
On a drive into the Sierra this winter, the water picture can feel reassuring. Reservoirs are brimming, spillways are running, and December storms left the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) with some of the strongest early-season storage on record. But higher up in the mountains, where water managers look months ahead rather than weeks, the story…
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NID Behind the Scenes: Hydrographers head up into the wilds to conduct snow surveys
“When I am taking a survey high up in the Sierra, I use snowshoes to get to the places where we measure the snowpack. During my wintry walk, I think about all the snow underneath me. This snowpack will melt and flow downstream so NID can provide water to our fields and towns. This snow…
