Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 534 - Underground Water and Wells
NRS 534.035 - Groundwater boards: Establishment; number, appointment, terms and expenses of members; officers; meetings and quorum; duties; dissolution.


1. In each area designated as a groundwater basin by the State Engineer pursuant to the provisions of NRS 534.030, the board of county commissioners may recommend to the State Engineer that the State Engineer establish a groundwater board. The State Engineer shall determine whether or not a groundwater board is to be established and may direct its establishment by order.
2. If a groundwater board is established, the governing bodies of all the cities and towns within the designated area, the board of county commissioners of each county in which the area is located, and the governing body of any water district in which the area is included, or partly included, shall each submit a list of names of residents of the area to the Governor, who shall appoint seven members of the board. At least one member must be appointed from each list.
3. After the initial terms, the term of office of each member of the board is 4 years. The board shall elect one member as chair and one member as secretary to serve as such at the pleasure of the board.
4. The board shall maintain its headquarters at the county seat of the county in which the designated area is located, or if the area lies in more than one county, in the county seat of one of the counties in which the area is located. The board shall hold meetings at such times and places as it may determine. Special meetings may be called at any time by the secretary at the request of any four members, or by the chair, upon notice specifying the matters to be acted upon at the meeting. No matters other than those specified in the notice may be acted upon at that meeting unless all members are present and consent thereto.
5. A majority of the board constitutes a quorum, and the board shall act only by a majority of those present.
6. For each day’s attendance at each meeting of the groundwater board, or for each day when services are actually performed for the groundwater board, the members are entitled to receive per diem and travel allowances provided by law. Claims for those expenses must be paid as provided in subsection 7 of NRS 534.040.
7. The State Engineer shall not approve any application or issue any permit to drill a well, appropriate groundwater, change the place or manner of use or the point of diversion of water within the designated area, adopt any related regulations or enter any related orders until the State Engineer has conferred with the board and obtained its written advice and recommendations.
8. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Engineer and the board be in agreement whenever possible, but, for the purpose of fixing responsibility to the Governor, if there is any disagreement between the State Engineer and the board, the views of the State Engineer prevail. A written report of any such disagreement must be made immediately to the Governor by the State Engineer and the board.
9. Any groundwater board may request from the State Engineer or any other state, county, city or district agency such technical information, data and advice as it may require to perform its functions, and the State Engineer and such other agencies shall, within the resources available to them, furnish such assistance as may be requested.
10. The Governor may dissolve the groundwater board by order if the Governor determines that the future activities of the board are likely to be insubstantial.
(Added to NRS by 1961, 488; A 1967, 1252; 1973, 182; 1977, 1235; 1981, 67, 917; 2019, 837)

Structure Nevada Revised Statutes

Nevada Revised Statutes

Chapter 534 - Underground Water and Wells

NRS 534.010 - Definitions.

NRS 534.0105 - "Aquifer" defined.

NRS 534.011 - "Area of active management" defined.

NRS 534.0115 - "Area of hydrologic effect" defined.

NRS 534.012 - "Artesian well" defined.

NRS 534.0125 - "Augmentation" defined.

NRS 534.013 - "Domestic use" and "domestic purposes" defined.

NRS 534.0135 - "Percolating waters" defined.

NRS 534.014 - "Person" defined.

NRS 534.0145 - "Project" defined.

NRS 534.015 - "Recharged water" defined.

NRS 534.0155 - "Storage account" defined.

NRS 534.016 - "Stored water" defined.

NRS 534.0165 - "Waste" defined.

NRS 534.017 - "Well driller" defined.

NRS 534.0175 - "Well drilling" and "drilling a well" defined.

NRS 534.020 - Underground waters belong to public and are subject to appropriation for beneficial use; declaration of legislative intent.

NRS 534.025 - Removal of underground waters to alleviate hazards caused by secondary recharge is beneficial use.

NRS 534.030 - Administration by State Engineer: Petition by appropriators in basin; hearing in absence of petition; certain artesian water, underground aquifers and percolating water; advisory services of governing bodies of water districts and water...

NRS 534.035 - Groundwater boards: Establishment; number, appointment, terms and expenses of members; officers; meetings and quorum; duties; dissolution.

NRS 534.037 - Groundwater management plan for basin designated as critical management area: Petition; hearing; approval or disapproval; judicial review; amendment.

NRS 534.040 - Employment and compensation of well supervisor and assistants; levy, collection and distribution of special assessment; exception.

NRS 534.050 - Permit to appropriate water required before sinking well in designated groundwater basin; requirements in undesignated areas; waivers; penalties.

NRS 534.060 - Conditions for sinking wells; casings and appliances; repair of defective wells; liens; sealing of wells; use of abandoned wells to monitor groundwater.

NRS 534.065 - Replacement well: Application to change place of diversion not required in certain circumstances; notice.

NRS 534.070 - Waste of water from artesian well unlawful.

NRS 534.080 - Appropriation of underground water for beneficial use from artesian, definable aquifer or percolating water: Acquisition of rights under chapter 533 of NRS; orders to desist; dates of priority.

NRS 534.090 - Forfeiture and abandonment of rights.

NRS 534.100 - Recognition of existing water rights; classification of water in definable aquifer or percolating water by State Engineer; adjudication of vested underground water rights.

NRS 534.110 - Rules and regulations of State Engineer; statements and pumping tests; conditions of appropriation; designation of critical management areas; restrictions; limit to restrictions on domestic wells.

NRS 534.120 - State Engineer authorized to make rules, regulations and orders when groundwater is being depleted in designated area; preferred uses of water; temporary permits to appropriate water; revocation of temporary permits; restrictions placed...

NRS 534.125 - State Engineer to file notice related to temporary permit.

NRS 534.130 - State Engineer, assistants and Artesian Well Supervisor authorized to enter premises to investigate and carry out duties.

NRS 534.140 - Well drillers: Annual licenses; fees; continuing education; regulations for well drilling; licensing by State Contractors’ Board.

NRS 534.1405 - Well drillers: Petition for review of criminal history to obtain license; requirements; fee; report.

NRS 534.141 - Application for renewal of license must include certain information regarding state business license; grounds for denial of renewal.

NRS 534.142 - Payment of child support: Statement by applicant for license to drill; grounds for denial of license; duty of State Engineer. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish...

NRS 534.144 - Suspension of license for failure to pay child support or comply with certain subpoenas or warrants; reinstatement of license. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish...

NRS 534.146 - Application for license to include social security number of applicant. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish procedures for withholding, suspending and restricting...

NRS 534.150 - Well Drillers’ Advisory Board: Appointment; terms of members; vacancies; compensation; duties.

NRS 534.160 - License required to drill well; revocation of or refusal to reissue license; order to plug well; penalty for allowing unlicensed person to drill.

NRS 534.170 - Well driller to keep log and records; contents; information to be furnished to State Engineer; report of test.

NRS 534.180 - Applicability of chapter to wells used for domestic purposes; registration and plugging of wells used for domestic purposes; wells for accessory dwelling unit of single-family dwelling.

NRS 534.185 - Waiver of certain requirements for domestic wells by State Engineer; exceptions.

NRS 534.190 - Penalties.

NRS 534.193 - Additional penalties.

NRS 534.195 - Injunctive and other relief.

NRS 534.250 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Permit required; issuance, contents, modification and assignment of permit; monitoring requirements.

NRS 534.260 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Contents of application for permit.

NRS 534.270 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Review of application for permit; notice of application; protests; hearing; determination; judicial review.

NRS 534.280 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Annual report to State Engineer.

NRS 534.290 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Permit for recovery well; recovery limited to designated wells; designation of person entitled to recover water; use or exchange of recovered water.

NRS 534.300 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Storage account to be established; limit on amount of water recovered.

NRS 534.310 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Annual fee for permit; disposition of money received by State Engineer; employment of consultants by State Engineer.

NRS 534.320 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Revocation or suspension of permit; orders to cease and desist; injunction.

NRS 534.330 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Penalties.

NRS 534.340 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Designation of areas of active management.

NRS 534.350 - Requirements for certain public water system to receive credits for addition of new customers to system.

NRS 534.360 - Water Rights Technical Support Account: Creation; administration; uses.