KENNY C. GUINN Governor ALLEN BIAGGI Administrator

The Wendell McCurry Excellence in Water Quality Award Presented for the Year 2001        Wendell McCurry was a long time employee of the Division in the water programs and had a strong personal and professional commitment to water quality. During his 32-year tenure with the State of Nevada, Mr. McCurry had tremendous foresight and vision in the field of water pollution control and was a strong One-ton bales of wild hay on improved meadows. Tomera Ranch country is the epitome of stewardship. advocate of clean water for Nevada. This award was established to honor the memory of Wendell McCurry who passed in January 2000. The award is made each year to recognize those individuals, firms, organizations and governmental entities that have made significant contributions to improving the quality of Nevada's water resources. The recipients of the Wendell McCurry Excellence in Water Quality Award for the year 2001 are Tom and Patsy Tomera, in cooperation with the Eureka County Conservation District and the Elko Field Office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The Tomera's, the Conservation District and the NRCS have done outstanding work with rangeland improvements especially with regard to riparian and water quality improvements. They have demonstrated a long-term stewardship of the land and innovative management practices. There will be a formal presentation of this distinguished award at the Star Restaurant in Elko, November 5th, 11:30am. After the ceremony and lunch, a field trip to visit the project is offered. Placing solar panels for pump system. Water pumped from 3 different locations will be moved through pipelines to troughs used as cattle watering facilities. This project enabled the ranchers to keep the cattle on the pastures and away from the creek and also from trampling over the meadows to reach the creek. The Tomera's, working with the Conservation District and the NRCS, have completed several projects on Trout Creek and Pine Creek near Elko, Nevada. These projects focus on controlling excess sediment from entering the creeks and eventually reaching the Humboldt River. Several check/drop structures were installed on both creeks. The structures capture sediment and topsoil, which were moving from the fields into the creeks; they also hold water longer in the creeks and the meadows. Some benefits from the construction of these structures can already be seen: creeks with more and better water, healthier riparian areas and more habitat for wildlife. Other longer term benefits that are expected from this project are: improvement in water quality along the whole basin and in the Humboldt River, possible fisheries restoration, a rise in the ground water table and healthier uplands. A water quality-monitoring program continues. Educational and informational tours to assess the results of the project are welcome. Photo documentation of resource conditions before, during and after construction will be maintained. The application of Best Management Practices with overall results of protecting bank stability, riparian habitat, and improving water quality will be monitored by NRCS. Working hard and staying warm. Strategic placement of structures will hold water longer in the watershed, thus raising ground water levels and enhancing riparian habitat, and will reduce bank erosion and minimize sediment deposition downstream. Site Map NDEP Home Page Last Updated 10/2001