In a recent conversation with Joe Dunn of Esmeralda County Public Works, we sought to clarify the concerns raised in the letter regarding the town’s water security. Dunn was definitive: Goldfield, Nevada, is not in danger of running dry. He emphasized that the community’s domestic needs remain the priority; should the water supply ever face a genuine threat, industrial mining operations would be the first to be halted to preserve the town’s resources. Residents can rest assured that the local infrastructure is managed with the town’s longevity in mind, ensuring that Goldfield remains a sustainable place to live.

Residents are still encouraged to attend the February 11, 2025 meeting. Concerns about the pipes running dry are unfounded and do not reflect the current reality.

Below is an Anonymous Letter Posing as a Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

​Goldfield Residents in Shock Over Water Shortage

​Goldfield – On February 11, 2026, Centerra Gold LLC. will host a special water information session at 5:30 pm in the elementary school gym in Goldfield, Nevada. The meeting was scheduled after some Goldfield residents began to challenge the contents of a development agreement between Esmeralda County and Gemfield Resources LLC., a subsidiary of Centerra Gold, a Canadian company. Of contention is no guaranteed water for the Town and the company’s vested rights to the entirety of the Town’s permitted water as well as the Town’s water infrastructure. Vested rights cannot be taken away and, in some cases, give the holder priority.

​Goldfield, Nevada is a living ghost town on Hwy 95, roughly halfway between Las Vegas and Reno. The Town is surrounded by thousands of acres of high desert BLM land owned by the federal government which regulates mining activities. Water is a scarce commodity and mining requires water. Local governments can enter into agreements, but they have no control over federal land use. Only 200 or so residents live in Goldfield; however, water customers include schools, public buildings, commercial businesses, and seasonal residents, which adds to the total customer count. The town has no gas station though one has been constructed, and its opening has been delayed by separate water-related issues. Though the Town had plenty of water for growth prior to the agreement, it now faces a shortage, and the realization has come suddenly.

​In July 2023, it was determined the Town of Goldfield’s available water limited growth to a total of 368 customers. At a November 20, 2025, townhall hosted by Centerra Gold, one resident claimed he was told there was only room for five new customers, sparking concerns from residents over whether the Canadian mining company has priority over Nevada taxpayers.

​The amended development agreement between Esmeralda County and Gemfield Resources was signed by the Esmeralda County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has an effective date of June 4, 2019 and was amended in February 2023 but due to the gold mining company’s delay on the project, available water for the Town wasn’t a concern. Now that gold prices and the company’s stock are skyrocketing, Gemfield Resources intends to push mine construction forward. This has some residents worried about the amount of water guaranteed to the mine and the lack of guaranteed water to the Town.

​Esmeralda County has 572.55 Acre Feet Annum (AFA) permitted water rights but has granted the mining company vested rights to over 938 AFA. The proposed solution is to transfer Gemfield Resources’ senior water rights to Goldfield’s municipal well field. The mining company would then have senior water rights at the wellfield and vested rights to the infrastructure as well as vested rights to an amount of water far exceeding what the town actually owns with no water reserved for the town.

​County Manager Joe Dunn ([email protected]) has been instrumental in both the review of the development agreement and transparency.