Economic Impact and Strategies

This project will develop estimates of the economic impacts projected to occur from the acquisition of water rights and changes in agricultural production and land use. The project will also formulate economic development actions to mitigate the projected economic and fiscal dislocations. One benefit of this research will be to identify appropriate sustainable economic development actions and related public policy alternatives.

Researchers:

From UNR: Sam Males, Bureau of Business & Economic Research (BBER); Dick Bartholet, BBER; Glen Atkinson, Department of Economics (DE), Mark Nichols, DE, Robin Bartlett, Rural Nevada Development Corporation; and other UNR faculty members for specific areas of expertise related to economic development (i.e., logistics).

Updates:

2007 | 2008: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November

January 2008:

Two community meetings have been held in Yerington and two in Smith Valley. The second meetings in each community had light attendance, but the additional input from the community members was very good. Comments from these meetings have been compiled and should be posted very soon. A community meeting will be held in Hawthorne on January 31 at 7:00 p.m. at the library.

February 2008:

Responses from the Yerington, Smith Valley and Hawthorne community meetings have been compiled (see document). The Bridgeport community meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 17.

March 2008:

The Bridgeport Valley community meeting is scheduled for April 17 in Memorial Hall, at the end of the Regional Planning Advisory Committee (RPAC) meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m. The Antelope Valley community meeting is scheduled for May 1 at the Walker Community Center in Walker, again at the end of the RPAC meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m.

April 2008:

The Bridgeport community meeting was held on April 17. Community input was interesting and informative. The Antelope Valley community meeting had been scheduled for May 1. They asked us to defer that meeting for one month, so it has been rescheduled for June 5, 2008, at the Walker Community Center.

May 2008:

The Antelope Valley community meeting will be held on June 5, 2008 at the Walker Community Center. This is the last community meeting to gather input on community self-perception, attitudes and concerns about the Walker Basin project and opinions as to compatible types of economic development.

June 2008:

All the community meetings to obtain initial citizen input have been accomplished. Responses from the California community meetings in Bridgeport and Walker have been compiled (view document).

July 2008:

Four scenarios for acquisition of water rights are being assessed as to economic impact:

1. Agricultural land is taken out of production
2. Existing crop rotations and farming practices are altered
3. Alternative crops are cultivated
4. Other (no-agricultural) sources of water are procured

A community meeting will be scheduled in the fall to present and discuss the initial findings of the research team during the same time frame the study is out for peer review. Community input will be treated as part of the review process.

August 2008:

There are no updates this month.

September 2008:

A draft report was completed and submitted for peer review.

Community meetings have been scheduled for the evenings of October 8 in Yerington and October 9 in Hawthorne to present and discuss the draft report written by the research team. Community input will be treated as part of the review process. 

October 2008:

The draft report was completed and submitted for peer review and has been posted on the Walker Basin Project website.

Community meetings were held October 8 in Yerington and October 9 in Hawthorne to present an overview of the draft economic impact and economic development report.

Initial meetings of economic development working groups are scheduled for the evenings of December 10 in Hawthorne and December 11 in Yerington.

November 2008:

Project members met with Ken Spooner and Stephen Fulstone and agreed to complete economic impact tables showing examples of economic impact with water leasing.

Initial meetings of economic development working groups are scheduled for the evenings of December 10 in Hawthorne and December 11 in Yerington. The draft report is being reviewed.