The Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) is an agreement among five parties:  California, Nevada, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT), the United States, and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA).  There are approximately ten other parties signing which include:  The Cities of Reno and Sparks, Washoe County, water purveyors in the Truckee area, and the Sierra Valley Water Company which takes water from the Truckee system to the Loyalton/Sierra Valley area.  When implemented, TROA will allow for a congressionally authorized interstate allocation of water between Nevada and California and change the operations of the Truckee River system to accommodate multiple beneficial uses for drought supply, improve spawning flows for endangered and threatened fish species, improve water quality and California water use and storage.  In addition, operations will enhance riparian habitat, re-establish river canopy, enhance reservoir releases, improve recreational pools in the reservoirs, and improve emergency draw-down procedures for Lake Tahoe.

The Water Quality Settlement Agreement (1996) and section 1.E.4 of TROA require the Entities to allocate certain water rights to “… augment instream flows in the Truckee River from Reno/Sparks area to Pyramid Lake, to assist in compliance with water quality standards, and also to improve water quality and to maintain and preserve the Lower Truckee River and Pyramid Lake for purposes of fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, and recreation.”  The Entities have met their obligation to acquire and allocate necessary water rights under the terms WQSA and Section 1.E.4.

 The WQSA and section 1.E.4 of TROA require the entities to manage these allocated waters and “..schedule releases according to the following priority orders:

i)                    To meet water quality standards in the river from the Vista gauge to Pyramid Lake.

ii)                   To improve water quality in the river from the Vista gauge to Pyramid Lake when sufficient water is not available to meet standards.

iii)                 To maintain aquatic and riparian habitat in the river downstream of Derby Dam.

iv)                 To promote aesthetic and recreational purposes through the Reno/Sparks area and continuing to Pyramid Lake.”

The Contract for Storage presented herein is required to achieve all these objectives as required under the WQSA and section 1.E.4 of TROA.  Further, the WQSA provided that the entities were to negotiate the storage agreement with the BOR; and, the interlocal agreement as to the management of the WQSA delegated the negotiation with the BOR to the Local Government Oversight Committee with approval of the storage contract by the entities respective governing bodies.

Staff recommends approval.

Storage of water owned by the entities as allowed by this contract will enhance the management of these rights and assist in meeting the priorities established.  Section 6 of the agreement indicates $0.00 per acre-foot per year for storage of Water Quality Credit Water, while Section 8 of the Agreement provides for Contract Administration costs to cover all reimbursable costs, including appropriate share of indirect costs.  The estimate provided by BOR was in the order of $1,000.00 or less per year, which will be equally shared among the Entities.

1. City Council could approve the Contract as outlined by Staff.
2. City Council could reject the Contract and provide direction to the City Manager.

“I move to approve the Contract for Storage of Non-Project Water among the United States of America Bureau of Reclamation, Washoe County Water Conservation District, the City of Reno, City of Sparks and County of Washoe.”