b'ADAPTING TO ACHANGING CLIMATENID takes multipronged approachStory and photos submitted by Nevada Irrigation District (NID) stressors and increases water yield. Of note, thinning forests can t the turn of the last century, when foothill pasturesrecapture 5-10 percent of a watersheds water yield. turned brown every summer, local ranchers drove theirAt 6,152 elevation, NID is restoring English Meadow to cattle to the green Sierra Nevada grasslands aroundimprove overall water quality and quantity. This will allow present-day Jackson Meadows Reservoir. There, they camemore water to remain within the floodplain, while restoring across vast amounts of pure mountain water, and envisioned aecosystem health and producing a runoff later into the summer system where the flows could be carried to their lower-elevationmonths.ranches and farms.NID also is working to improve waterways for fish with, for example, projects in the Auburn Ravine, including the new To make those dreams happen, the Nevada Irrigation DistrictHemphill Fish Passage.was formed in 1921. And for more than a century, the DistrictNID continued on page 23has delivered a reliable supply of mountain water so local residents could irrigate their fields and farms. Water is also treated for use in homes and businesses.Entering its second hundred years, however, NID is facing a new reality. A changing climate is altering the quantity, quality, and timing of the snow and runoff in the Sierra. Primarily, this impacts how NID stores and distributes water to its customers.Climate change presents daunting challenges, and we must adapt, said NID General Manager Jennifer Hanson. We have adopted a multipronged approach using best practices to ensure our customers get every drop of water they expect.ADAPTING TO A NEW REALITYA primary challenge begins in the mountains. NIDs water supply comes from snow that falls in the Sierra during the winter and is stored in watersheds as it melts then flows into District reservoirs.Warmer wintertime temperatures impact the snowpack. More precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow. Snowpack that does accumulate is melting faster and earlier in the year. This affects the timing and availability of water.A dedicated NID team manages water around the clock, moving supplies from the high country to treatment plants for filtration and purification.The staffs expertise means the District can respond to fluctuating conditions and maximize water availability to its customers.HEALTHY WATERSHEDSNID is working to improve the health of watersheds, which play an important role in adapting to climate change. A watershed absorbs and stores rain and snow, and thenslowly releases the water. Its function enhances both water quality and water storage. In the high country, a new regulating gate in the Wilson Creek NIDs forest management projects are essential for protectingDiversion Conduit makes it possible to manually control flows from its source watersheds. Forest thinning reduces ecosystemthe creek to the Milton Bowman Tunnel. ( #1 ON MAP)Nevada County Business Focus 21'