The Stillwater Basin, which includes the Stillwater Wildlife Management Area (SWMA), Carson Lake Pasture, Fernley and other wetlands, Lahontan Reservoir and numerous Newlands Irrigation Project reservoirs was identified as IRP #111 and ranked #53. Calendar year 1980 was an excellent water year. The 1976-1977 drought was being overcome gradually with increasing water receipts during 1978-1979, but CY 1980 can only be rated as one “like the good old days” experienced prior to 1967. Our water management abilities were tested beginning in mid January when we received large spills from Lahontan Reservoir. Other than unit water level maintenance problems in August (a chronic situation), we had the pleasure of developing methods of effectively delivering and using water. About 199,102 AF was received, 101,900 AF of the total, however was essentially wasted in the Carson Sink. On August 8th, Coy C. Dyer retired after 30 years of service, 14 of these years were on the SWMA. The Alpine Case (U.S. vs. Alpine Land and Reservoir Co., et al) the longest water litigation on record, finally received a final decision and decree in the Federal Court after 55 years. The “Feds” lost. Impacts on the SWMA are not known at this time, but could result in the use of irrigation return flows that the SWMA would have received on the Carson Pasture instead. (Diminish total annual SWMA water receipts.) . After one year of negotiations between the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District (TCID), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and the FWS, an agreement between TCID and NDOW was finally signed on June 17th. The agreement is to cover the design, construction and operation of an enlarged D-Line Canal (180 CFS capacity) from Sagouspe Dam to the Main Marsh. This will provide a means whereby TCID could deliver a large portion of operation spills, that would otherwise be wasted in the Carson Sink to the Main Marsh instead. These periodic deliveries are deemed essential as this will allow flushing of accumulated alkaline salts and permit the maintenance of emergent vegetation. After a supplemental agreement was signed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, FWS and WPRS, the Fleishman Foundation which is providing the grant funds of $500,000 to the NDOW, delayed release of these monies until February, 1981, feeling that TCID drove too hard a bargain in the agreement which requires some water to be used for irrigation.
