Status of Desert Terminal Lakes Program Funding
The funding is administered through Reclamation’s Lahontan Basin Area Office in Carson City, Nevada. As of January 2013, all of the funding in the $375 million program has been committed to various projects. The DTL Program is being administered as a grant program and Reclamation does not plan to undertake any direct efforts to provide water to the identified lakes. The $375 million of funding has now been set aside, obligated or expended for directed legislative allocations to various entities, other projects, or associated Reclamation administrative costs.
Legislative Earmarks
As of March 2009, $170.653 million has been earmarked out of the $200 million of Desert Terminal Lakes Program funds.
| Walker Lake fish hatchery: $1 million | |||
Status: |
$436,000 has been obligated to date. | ||
Truckee River Settlement Act (Public Law 101-618) implementation: $2 million |
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Status: |
Four $500,000 grants, one each to the State of Nevada, the State of California, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, were obligated in 2004 and 2005; the majority of the funds have been spent. | ||
| Carson Lake & Pasture water rights purchases: $2.5 million for the State of Nevada to purchase water rights from willing sellers and make necessary improvements to benefit Carson Lake and Pasture. | |||
Status: |
The funds are to be provided when the title to Carson Lake and Pasture is conveyed to the State of Nevada, which has not yet occurred. | ||
| Bottled water to Fallon schoolchildren: $133,000 for Families in Search of the Truth, Fallon, Nevada, for the purchase of bottled water and costs associated with providing such water to schoolchildren in Fallon-area schools. | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated and spent in 2004; only $66,053 was needed. Water in Fallon schools had been found to have unacceptably high levels of arsenic. The bottled water was a short-term measure to provide safe water until the problem was resolved. | ||
| Humboldt Project Title Transfer NEPA: $270,000 for the State of Nevada's costs associated with the National Environmental Policy Act review of the Humboldt Title Transfer. | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated in 2002. The Environmental Impact Statement was completed in September 2005; the associated Record of Decision was signed in March 2006. | ||
| UNR Biodiversity Initiative: $1 million to the University of Nevada, Reno's biodiversity initiative for public education and associated technical assistance and outreach concerning the issues affecting the restoration of Walker Lake. | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated in 2005. The project was completed at the end of 2007. | ||
| University of Nevada Walker Basin Program: $70 million to the University of Nevada to acquire from willing sellers land, water appurtenant to the land, and related interests in the Walker River Basin, Nevada; and to establish and administer a Walker River Basin agricultural and natural resources center. | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated in March 2006. | ||
Task 1: |
The University and the Desert Research Institute used approximately $360,000 to develop a plan to utilize the funding. | ||
Task 2: |
research to support acquisitions, is ongoing and has a budget of $10.7 million; the research is in progress and is scheduled for completion in 2009. | ||
Task 3: |
with a budget of $1,729,500, is for an acquisition team and the associated environmental impact statement (EIS). The EIS is in progress and is scheduled for completion in 2009. | ||
Task 4: |
$56 million will be used for acquisitions after the EIS is complete. | ||
| Walker River Paiute Tribe water lease and purchase program: $10 million for a water lease and purchase program for the Walker River Paiute Tribe on the Walker River Indian Reservation | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated in May 2006. The tribe fallowed their lands in 2007 while Weber Dam was undergoing repair, and fallowed again in 2008. | ||
| Tamarisk eradication, riparian area restoration, & channel restoration efforts within the Walker River Basin: $10 million | |||
Status: |
The funds were obligated in May 2006 and are being administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Project leader Lisa Heki), in cooperation with the Walker River Paiute Tribe and the Nevada Department of Wildlife. As of December 2007, $2.6 million dollars had been used for ten projects. | ||
| Western Inland Trout Initiative and Fishery Improvements: $5 million to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Walker River Paiute Tribe, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife to complete the design and implementation of the Western Inland Trout Initiative and Fishery Improvements in the State of Nevada with an emphasis on the Walker River Basin | |||
Status: |
The funds were transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in April 2006; the Service (Project lead Lisa Heki) is working with the Walker River Paiute Tribe and the Nevada Department of Wildlife and will provide funding to them. | ||
Other Projects
As of December 2008, an additional $24.8 million of Desert Terminal Lakes Program funding has been obligated for other projects:
- Walker River basin data collection: U.S Geological Survey ($4.2 million)
- Walker River basin modeling: U.S. Geological Survey ($743,000)
- Walker River basin gaging stations: U.S. Geological Survey ($303,675)
- Technical Assistance related to Desert Terminal Lakes Projects: U.S. Bureau of Land Management: ($392,900)
- Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area improvements: Nevada Department of Wildlife ($2.36 million) for improvements on the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area that will allow some water to flow to Walker Lake
- Homestretch Geothermal: ($35,720) investigation of possible discharge of geothermal plant effluent into the Walker River for use at Walker Lake. This project has been completed.
- Truckee River Restoration work: City of Reno will use $9,556,669 for restoration work on the Truckee River downstream of the Reno/Sparks area, between Lockwood and Derby Dam.
- Pyramid Lake fisheries: The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe will use $2 million for improvements to their fisheries facilities.
- Truckee River Settlement Act (Public Law 101-618) implementation: In 2007, $5 million ($1 million each) was obligated to five parties to help complete and implement the Truckee River Operating Agreement. The parties are: Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Federal Water Master (Reno), City of Fernley, and Department of Justice.
For assistance or additional information, please contact:
Caryn Huntt DeCarlo
Program Manager
Desert Terminal Lakes Program
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
705 North Plaza Street, Suite 320
Carson City, NV 89701
775-884-8352 Fax 775-882-7592
March 11, 2013