As the illustration below shows, the size of the regions of Nevada that are included in the four categories of drought severity (moderate severe, exceptional and extreme) have remained about the same and in the same locations for more than year. However, northern Nevada residents are beginning to see the effects of several dry years, especially if they the right to withdraw water from surface water supplies such as the Truckee River. As of the end of July, two sources of water for the Truckee will dwindle (Lake Tahoe and Boca Reservoir), which means that flows in the Truckee will also decrease. This means that downstream users, such as the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, will begin releasing storage from other sources in a stages to meet their needs downstream. This also has the benefit of maintaining some flow in the Truckee. The Truckee Meadows Water Authority has a plan for meeting water demand by using different sources upstream, including Donner Lake. Their plan relies partially on voluntary conservation (http://bit.ly/1oMc1q2). The plan is designed to meet system demand for the remainder of the summer months--a critical period that corresponds with peak water use associated with irrigation and lawn maintenance.
One of the consequences of this shortage is that many of the ditches that divert Truckee River water for what were historically agricultural purposes will be dry for the rest of the irrigation season. This will have a big impact on those who use the water to irrigate pastures and crops.
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