History of NWRA

Thanks to the existence of some copies of the proceedings of early Nevada water conferences, I am able to report to you in a general way the gathering interest in accumulating and sharing information on water uses, conservation and studies, begun after the end of World War II, and continuing today, some 50 years later.

In October, 1944, while working up a groundwater program, the state engineer's office (then headed by Tom Smith) called together several federal agencies interested in determining the ground-water resources of the state, and asked for their advice, cooperation and suggestions. All participants favored this gathering, and they all conceived the idea of an annual meeting to coordinate the various programs concerning water development and conservation in the state, to find out each other's plans and ways for improved mutual aid. The 1945 state legislature responded by passing an enabling act to allow the state engineer, on behalf of the state, to enter into agreements with federal and other state agencies for making stream measurements and underground water studies.

True to their word, the first annual conference was convened on September 17,1946. Assistant State Engineer Hugh Shamberger fashioned the program to include reports from each participating agency, followed by a discussion/question period. After the conference, Smith wrote he was pleased to learn that all of the federal and state agencies present recognized this need for better coordination. A bill was then introduced to the state legislature, 1947 session, to create a Nevada Water Resources Board, to bring about this closer working relationship and coordination.

At the second conference, in September, 1947, Governor Vail Pittman reported that the legislature declined to create this new board, seeing that the state engineer's office was already fairly efficient at bringing together groups, and preventing overlap. The state engineer concurred with the sentiment expressed by the legislature, and accepted the additional responsibility as its leader.

For five years, the conference gathered without benefit of organization, directors or officers, merely meeting at the invitation of the Smith-Shamberger duo. At adjournment of the sixth conference, in 1951, many of the participants convened to form the Nevada Reclamation Association, whose stated purpose was to cause the advancement of conservation, reclamation and development of land and water resources of the state. It affiliated with the National Reclamation Association, and elected representative directors annually from three geographic regions covering the state.

The 1957 legislature created the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, with Shamberger as its first director. He carried on the annual conference planning and execution, in concert with the Reclamation Association. With the exception of the 1962 meeting, when he was bed-ridden for two weeks recovering from a back injury, he served as its driving force until 1964, at which time he was also president of the National Reclamation Association."'

By the mid-sixties, some municipalities, counties and major utilities companies were contributing small amounts of money to support the continuation of the conferences. In 1971, the association changed its name to Nevada Water Resources Association, and around 1990 discontinued its national affiliation, while at the same time broadening its roster of affiliate associations, agencies and individuals.

Fifty-six years later, we are still gathering to share information on our water resources, and, I hope, look briefly back in tribute to those who gave this annual conference significant beginning.

Compiled by Bill Nisbet in March 1995