Humboldt River near Carlin
Lamoille Creek
Beaver Creek
Susie Creek
Humboldt River near Elko
The Humboldt River flows east to west through north-central Nevada and is about 330 miles long. It is an important water source for residents and agriculture, and it also supports one of Nevada’s largest industries—gold mining. Most of the state’s mines are in the Humboldt River Basin along the Carlin Trend. Nevada produces about 72 percent of all U.S. gold, making it the fifth largest producer in the world. In 2022, mines in Nevada produced more than 4 million ounces of gold (Nevada Division of Minerals).
The Humboldt River Basin is the largest basin entirely within Nevada, covering about 17,000 square miles. All water in the basin comes from rain and snow, so changes in weather and climate strongly affect water supply. Historically, people relied mostly on surface water for agriculture, with little use of groundwater. By the 1930s, surface water was fully allocated. Groundwater pumping for irrigation began in the 1950s and grew to more than 150,000 acre-feet per year by the early 1980s. In the early 1990s, groundwater pumping increased further for the purpose of mine dewatering.
Today, the basin is studied in three parts—upper, middle, and lower—because conditions and water use vary across these areas. In river systems like the Humboldt, groundwater and surface water are connected. A river’s base flow may be supported by groundwater, or alternatively, the river may supply water to the groundwater aquifer. This means recent groundwater development may be using water that was originally allocated for surface water.
Studies in the Humboldt River Basin
- Evaluation of Streamflow Depletion Related to Groundwater Withdrawal, Humboldt River Basin
- Water Resources of the Upper Humboldt River Basin
Available Water Data
The Humboldt River flows east to west through north-central Nevada and is about 330 miles long. It is an important water source for residents and agriculture, and it also supports one of Nevada’s largest industries—gold mining. Most of the state’s mines are in the Humboldt River Basin along the Carlin Trend. Nevada produces about 72 percent of all U.S. gold, making it the fifth largest producer in the world. In 2022, mines in Nevada produced more than 4 million ounces of gold (Nevada Division of Minerals).
The Humboldt River Basin is the largest basin entirely within Nevada, covering about 17,000 square miles. All water in the basin comes from rain and snow, so changes in weather and climate strongly affect water supply. Historically, people relied mostly on surface water for agriculture, with little use of groundwater. By the 1930s, surface water was fully allocated. Groundwater pumping for irrigation began in the 1950s and grew to more than 150,000 acre-feet per year by the early 1980s. In the early 1990s, groundwater pumping increased further for the purpose of mine dewatering.
Today, the basin is studied in three parts—upper, middle, and lower—because conditions and water use vary across these areas. In river systems like the Humboldt, groundwater and surface water are connected. A river’s base flow may be supported by groundwater, or alternatively, the river may supply water to the groundwater aquifer. This means recent groundwater development may be using water that was originally allocated for surface water.
Studies in the Humboldt River Basin
- Evaluation of Streamflow Depletion Related to Groundwater Withdrawal, Humboldt River Basin
- Water Resources of the Upper Humboldt River Basin