Submitted by Meg Mills Novoa on
Private companies in Nevada are buying rights to water, and at least sometimes they do so to maximize their profits even at the expense of ecosystem health and using water sustainably. The Nevada Water Rights Research Assistant will work with an ERG graduate student to help determine the scale of this problem.
The research assistant will collect data related to water speculation, water hoarding, and water rights in Nevada using the state's online water rights database. They will put data into an Excel/Google Sheet format for analysis. The Research Assistant may also submit public records requests or suggest other methods to gather information more quickly. They will also do internet research to find and review documents describing the relationships between water rights owners. After collecting the data, the research assistant will use a software tool of their choice (Excel, python, Tableau, etc.) to visualize the data collected about key aspects of water rights in Nevada. Meet weekly with ERG graduate student, Work independently but communicate when progress is blocked
Excellent attention to detail, Excellent time management skills, Strong written and verbal communication, Interest in water and/or justice issues, Data analysis and visualization skills a plus