TCID Begins Water Season with Annual Water Users’ Meetings

The Truckee Carson Irrigation District has officially begun ramping up for the 2026 irrigation season, with water orders already coming in and deliveries expected to start moving through the system in the coming days.

At last week’s water users meetings held both in Fernley and Fallon, TCID staff confirmed that orders are being accepted and activity is picking up across both the Carson and Truckee divisions. Early counts show more than 200 orders already submitted as irrigators prepare for the start of the season.

Crews are beginning the physical work of getting water moving, including flushing canals and starting to fill reservoirs. Initial flows are expected to begin immediately, with water distributed through the canal network as conditions allow.

The start of deliveries follows the district’s decision earlier this month to set a 100% water allocation for the season, despite concerns about how the water supply will unfold.

As previously reported, current water conditions are being shaped by an unusual winter pattern. Early snowmelt and warm temperatures have pushed runoff ahead of schedule, meaning flows appear strong now but are expected to drop off earlier than normal, potentially by early summer.

That dynamic is already shaping how the district approaches operations this spring, moving water efficiently early while keeping a close eye on how quickly supplies decline.

During the meeting, water users raised ongoing concerns about delivery timing and system efficiency. Ernie Schank noted inconsistent delivery times and asked whether more coordinated scheduling could reduce waste and improve overall use of available water.

District staff acknowledged those challenges, saying they continue working to balance user requests with system limitations. While irrigators can request preferred delivery times, TCID emphasized that it cannot always accommodate individual schedules due to operational constraints.

Efficiency also remains a concern under the federal Newlands Project contract, which includes performance benchmarks tied to water use. Manager Ben Shawcroft said TCID is currently below the threshold needed to receive efficiency credits but is evaluating ways to improve performance moving forward.

One of the biggest changes on the horizon is a long-overdue upgrade to the district’s water ordering and accounting system. TCID announced it is preparing to roll out a new online platform that will allow users to place orders, track deliveries, and monitor account balances in real time.

The system will replace an aging database that has been in use for decades. Once launched, each water user will have an individual login, with access to all of their water rights and account information. The district expects the platform to be available within the next month and is encouraging users to sign up and move away from paper notices.

In addition to operational updates, TCID also announced that the TCID general election will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the district office to elect directors for Divisions 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Candidates are Wade Workman, Michael Olsen, Eric Olsen, Abrahm Schank, and Lester deBraga.

For now, the focus remains on getting water on the ground.

While early conditions have allowed for a full allocation year, the message from both district officials and federal water managers has been consistent: this will be a season to watch closely.