Northern Nevadans face short irrigation season
May 15, 2012 - 1:01 am
YERINGTON - A dry winter in the Walker River Basin along the eastern Sierra Nevada means a short irrigation season this year for farmers and ranchers in the Yerington area of Northern Nevada.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported flows in the West Walker River are expected to be 41 percent of average, and federal watermaster Jim Shaw is forecasting flows in the East Walker River will be even less, at 29 percent.
Show told Walker River Irrigation District board members that this water year is the worst in the basin since 1977. Officials say that year farmers were out of water allotments by the Fourth of July.