Introduction

Clean water is essential for life. Beyond the need for safe drinking water supplies, however, is the need for clean water to maintain agricultural production, recreational uses, fisheries and wildlife habitat, industrial uses and a healthy Nevada economy.

The Nevada 2004 303(d) Impaired Waters List shows that every major lake and river in Nevada suffers from some level of water quality impairment, including contamination by nutrients, metals, sediment, temperature, total dissolved solids, pH and additional pollutants (NDEP, 2005). Groundwater supplies are contaminated with pesticides, industrial chemicals, nitrates and bacteria from septic systems and livestock waste, and arsenic and other geologic constituents.

Numerous past studies have identified the issue of water quality as a major concern in the Western Area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, which includes Douglas, Storey and Washoe Counties and Carson City municipality. A natural resources needs assessment completed in 1999 identified “water quality” as one of nine pressing issues (Carlos et al., 1999). A horticulture needs assessment completed in 2003 (unpublished data) again identified the issue of “water quality.” More recently, a statewide survey of agricultural producers (Singletary, 2006) and of Lake Tahoe stakeholders (Kocher and Cobourn, 2007) also identified this issue.

Additional clarification of specific issues related to water quality is helpful in strategic planning of future educational programs and priorities. This study invited stakeholders to rank specific water quality issues that will challenge the Western Area of Nevada during the next five years.

Methodology

Using a modified Delphi approach, a list of 54 water quality-related issues was developed. Input was received from key stakeholders including hydrologists, water planners, utilities managers, engineers, landscapers, tribal interests, conservationists and regulators. Issues were grouped into the following categories:

• General water quality issues
• Issues related to stormwater runoff
• Issues related to waste disposal and hazardous materials
• Issues related to construction and development
• Issues related to homeowner practices
• Issues related to agriculture
• Issues related to riparian condition
• Other issues

An online survey was developed using a Webbased survey company. An email link to the survey was sent to 68 key informants in the Western Area of Nevada. Respondents were asked to rate the issues on a scale from 1, least important, to 9, tremendously important, by focusing on water quality needs and issues in the Western Area during the next five years. Respondents were also invited to write in issues that were not listed in the survey. Specific issues are presented in Appendix 1.

Results were ranked by weighted scores using the rating scale from 1 to 9, and also by the number of respondents ranking the issue as 9, or “tremendously important.” There were minor differences in the results from the two methods.

Results

The survey response rate was 57% (n=39). Most respondents were housed in Carson City or Washoe County, reflecting the number of state and federal employees working in Carson City (Figure 1). No respondents were housed in Storey County, and only 3% were housed in Douglas County.

Figure 1. County Housing Respondents’ Office

Respondents were fairly evenly distributed among those with federal, state, county and local responsibilities (Figure 2). The single largest occupation category was government, followed by management/ administration (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Level of Respondents’ Job Responsibilities

Figure 3. Respondents’ Occupation Category

The top 10 issues based on the weighted scores clustered on the issues of tributary and riparian condition (1, 2, 5, 8, 9); impacts related to growth and changes in land use (4, 10), insufficient watershed protection planning (3, 6), and invasive species infestations (7) (Table 1). Ranking of themes by the average of weighted scores for associated issues revealed three themes weighted the highest: issues related to riparian condition, storm water runoff, and construction and development (Table 2). The theme “issues related to agriculture” was weighted lowest.

The top 10 issues based on the number scoring an issue as “tremendously important” also clustered on the issues of tributary and riparian condition (1, 2, 8, 10); impacts related to growth and changes in land use (4, 6), insufficient watershed protection planning (4, 10), invasive species infestations (6), and groundwater contamination (8) (Table 3). Groundwater contamination was the only issue not appearing on the list of top 10 issues by weighted score. Complete lists of ranked and weighted issues are provided in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3.

Only five issues did not receive a single ranking as “tremendously important.” These include:

• Household hazardous chemical disposal
• Contamination of food products by waterborne agricultural wastes
• Water quality for crop irrigation
• Contamination from pet wastes
• Radon contamination

Eleven respondents wrote in additional issues they felt were very important. These were grouped into the following topics:

• Economic impacts of water quality decisions
• Wastewater issues, including effluent reuse, effluent impacts on aquatic life, and inconsistent wastewater treatment requirements
• Drinking water quality, including arsenic and uranium standards, and persistent organic pollutants
• The need to base water quality decisions on water quality data measurements
• Community ownership in water quality issues
• Political leadership responsibilities in planning (to protect water quality)

Summary and Limitations

Ranking of water quality issues in the Western Area reveals a perceived need for protection of tributary streams and their watersheds. Limitations to the study include the low response rate (57%); poor response from Douglas and Storey Counties; and lack of self identification with agriculture as an occupation. In addition, it is impossible to decouple issues of water quality from issues of water quantity. For example, agricultural diversions often lower flow rates dramatically, making attainment of aquatic life standards difficult or impossible. However, this issue was not addressed by this study.

Results from this survey will be used with other sources of information in strategic planning for future programs and activities.

Citations

• Carlos, B., J. Cobourn, S. Donaldson, S. Lewis, E. Miller, D. Post, M. Rebori, J. Skelly and E. Smith. 1999. Natural Resource Needs in Western Nevada, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension SP-99- 01.
• Kocher, S. and J. Cobourn. 2007. Natural Resource Issues in the Lake Tahoe Basin (draft).
• Lewis, S. 2003. Community Needs Assessment: Douglas County 2002. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension SP-03-11.
• Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). 2005. Nevada’s 2004 303(d) Impaired Waters List. Bureau of Water Quality Planning, NDEP.
• Singletary, L. and M. Smith. 2006. Nevada Agriculture Producer Research and Education Needs: Results of 2006 Statewide Needs Assessment. Educational Bulletin EB-06-02.
• USGS. 1999. Nutrients and Pesticides. USGS Circular 1225.
• USGS. 2006. Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water, 1992 – 2001. USGS Circular 1291.
• USGS. 2006. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Nation’s Ground Water and Drinking-Water Supply Wells. USGS Circular 1291.

Appendix 1
Grouping of Water Quality Issues for the Survey Instrument

General issues

1. Groundwater contamination
2.  Wetland destruction
3. Failure to meet regulatory limits such as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
4. Water quality standards
5. Insufficient watershed protection planning
6. Increased levels of total dissolved solids
7. Thermal pollution
8. Geothermal discharges
9. Drinking water quality impairment
10. Flood-related water quality impairment
11. Heavy metal contamination
12. Mercury contamination
13. Radon contamination

Related to stormwater runoff

14. Polluted runoff from roads and parking lots
15. Road salts and de-icers
16. Contaminated, untreated stormwater
17. Best Management Practices (BMPs) not appropriate to arid environment
18. Water quality impacts related to changes in land use
19. Urban sprawl impacts

Related to waste disposal and hazardous materials

20. Household hazardous chemical disposal
21. Hazardous materials spills
22. Failing septic systems
23. Leaking underground storage tanks
24. Municipal wastewater discharges
25. Contamination from landfills
26. Mining wastes
27. Improper disposal of wastes
28. Fuel leakage from motorized watercraft

Related to construction and development

29. Soil erosion from building or road construction
30. Clearing of vegetation from construction sites
31. Failure to install BMPs
32. Improperly installed BMPs
33. Failure to maintain BMPs

 Related to homeowner practices

34. Domestic well water quality impairment
35. Domestic wellhead protection
36. Pesticide contamination of surface and groundwater
37. Fertilizer contamination of surface and groundwater
38. Contamination from pet wastes

Related to agriculture

39. Water quality for crop irrigation
40. Manure management
41. Contamination of food products by waterborne agricultural wastes
42. Pesticide misuse
43. Fertilizer misuse

Related to riparian condition

44. Riparian degradation
45. Nonfunctioning riparian condition
46. Changes of stream geomorphology
47. Degradation of fisheries
48. Stream habitat degradation
49. Impacts to recreational uses
50. Degradation of tributaries
51. Degradation of tributary watersheds

Other issues

52. Timber harvesting
53. Wildfire impacts
54. Invasive species infestations
55. Other (respondents write in their own issues)

Published by: Donaldson, S., 2007, Ranking Water Quality Issues in Western Nevada, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-07-14

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