MARK WAITE / PVT Hydrologist Tom Buqo addressed Nye County Commissioners. Advertisement

TONOPAH -- Nye County commissioners put all their money on long-time county hydrologist Tom Buqo Tuesday to set up a Nye County water district, giving him a $430,000 contract for a "turn key" operation to be completed by March 31, 2010.

The establishment of a Nye County Water District, approved in a bill by the Nevada Legislature last session, would serve as the focus for water management in Nye County, the scope of activities states.

The stated mission of the county water district is to develop long term plans to obtain water resources, mitigate any water environmental impacts, define ground water and surface water conditions and define alternatives for managing water resources.

Nye County Manager Ron Williams said the county will be allowed to divert a $2.5 million federal grant for a Nye County groundwater evaluation study for Buqo's contract. The county has $1.7 million left in that grant. The establishment of the water district will include completing that Pahrump groundwater study, in what Buqo called a key management tool for the water district.

Buqo advised commissioners if they went for option one, paying him $30,000 and going out for proposals for outside consultants to do the work, they would take a gamble they may end up with an inexperienced firm that could cost the county more money.

"After the course of a year or two, it will be like some other contracts where nothing has been accomplished other than to spend a lot of money, and we haven't accomplished our objective," Buqo said.

Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos suggested if the county was spending this amount of money, Buqo should be a paid county staff member. Buqo said the county would eventually have a water district manager, though Commissioner Joni Eastley questioned if the federal grant could be used for paid staff.

"One of the key elements in the first few years as county staff or contractor is to line up sources of funding with the intent of making the district totally self-sufficient, if it's not in three years, within five years," Buqo said.

Once the current federal funding expires, there was concern among commissioners about how to continue paying for the district.

Commissioner Gary Hollis felt congressional earmarks will be phased out in the near future. Buqo said any financial burden on citizens of Nye County won't be popular, but predicted if the county can achieve "critical mass" with federal funding over the next five years the funds will continue.

Buqo admitted he couldn't say with 100 percent certainty the water district would be up and running in two years.

Commissioner Butch Borasky said "I'll probably get crucified for this" in making the motion to approve option number two, the $430,000 contract.

Buqo's estimates to establish the water district alone amounts to $234,000. It includes $30,000 to train Nye County Water District board members, another $32,000 to train Nye County Water District staff, $43,000 to develop the requirements for capital, $20,000 to identify funding sources and $26,000 in public outreach.

The groundwater evaluation study adds up to another $196,000. It includes $103,000 to develop a calibrated flow model of Pahrump Valley. Four other tasks would cost $22,000 to $25,000 apiece: developing future pumping scenarios, transient simulations, compiling document results and coordinating with the state Division of Water Resources.

During a January 2007 special meeting, county commissioners overcame concerns about creating a big bureaucracy in deciding to submit a bill draft request to the Nevada Legislature authorizing the creation of the water district.

At that meeting, Buqo outlined the advantages to having a water district.

Some projects Buqo would like to consider include a damage assessment on federal contamination of the Nevada Test Site, where Buqo feels there are enough water rights to supply the entire state of Nevada.

The water district could prevent a water grab by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Buqo said. But ultimately he said the water district could enter into an agreement with a water purveyor, like the Southern Nevada Water Authority or Vidler Water Co., to pipe water from Central Nevada to Pahrump, perhaps in another 20 years down the road.

Commissioners meticulously outlined the composition of the water board to include representatives from throughout Nye County. Eastley expressed concerns about ending up with an Owens Valley type situation, where Los Angeles power companies drained water from Owens Valley in Eastern California.

Buqo is already under a $200,000 contract this year with the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office for long-term aquifer testing in Amargosa Valley and evaluating impacts of Yucca Mountain. He charges a rate of $140 per hour as principal investigator.

Buqo was awarded a $95,000 contract amendment last year to do hydro-geologic evaluations in the Beatty area and near the proposed Yucca Mountain railroad facilities.

Buqo received an amendment last November boosting his contract from $47,251 to $272,281 to work on the Pahrump groundwater evaluation study.

During a presentation at the annual Devil's Hole workshop last May, Buqo said over 80 percent of the wells in Pahrump were drilled to a depth of less than 150 feet. He predicted they could go dry by 2030 based on current rates of water withdrawal averaging one foot per year.