Editing Smith Valley, Nevada

{{Redirect|Smith Valley|the unincorporated town in Indiana|Smith Valley, Indiana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Smith Valley, Nevada
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Smith Valley, Nevada (18014251299).jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Aerial view of Smith Valley
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Lyon_County_Nevada_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Smith_Valley_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location of Smith Valley, Nevada
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Nevada]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[County (United States)|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Lyon County, Nevada|Lyon]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 19, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 269.06
|area_land_km2            = 264.07
|area_water_km2           = 4.98
|area_total_sq_mi         = 103.88
|area_land_sq_mi          = 101.96
|area_water_sq_mi         = 1.92

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1710
|population_density_km2   = 6.48
|population_density_sq_mi = 16.77

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 4731
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|49|9|N|119|21|21|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = 
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 32-68050
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 2408748<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2408748}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Smith Valley''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Lyon County, Nevada]], United States. The population was 1,603 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3268050&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1| title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Smith Valley CDP, Nevada| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=data.census.gov| accessdate=May 5, 2020}}</ref>

==Geography and name==
Smith Valley is located in southwestern Lyon County at {{Coord|38|49|9|N|119|21|21|W|type:city}} (38.819204, -119.355912),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> occupying the valley of the same name. The valley is bordered to the west by the [[Pine Nut Mountains]], to the north by the [[Buckskin Range]], to the east by the [[Singatse Range]], to the southwest by the [[Wellington Hills]], and to the southeast by the [[Pine Grove Hills]]. The CDP occupies the western and central parts of the valley, with the western border of the CDP following the [[Douglas County, Nevada|Douglas County]] line.

[[Nevada State Route 208]] passes through the valley, leading northeast {{convert|23|mi}} to [[Yerington, Nevada|Yerington]], the Lyon [[county seat]], and west {{convert|15|mi}} to [[U.S. Route 395]] north of [[Topaz Lake, Nevada|Topaz Lake]]. [[Nevada State Route 338|State Route 338]] leads south from Smith Valley {{convert|30|mi}} to the [[California]] border, where [[California State Route 182|State Route 182]] leads an additional {{convert|14|mi}} to [[Bridgeport, California]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Smith Valley CDP has a total area of {{convert|317.4|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|312.4|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|5.0|km2|order=flip}}, or 1.57%, are water.<ref name="Gazetteer 2019">{{cite web| url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_32.txt| title=U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Nevada| website=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division| accessdate=May 5, 2020}}</ref> The central part of the valley is drained by the [[West Walker River]], which exits the valley to the east through Wilson Canyon. The northern part of the valley is an [[endorheic basin]], with Artesia Lake occupying the lowest area.

Smith Valley is named for American fur trapper and explorer [[Jedediah Smith]], who crossed the area in spring 1827, after crossing the Sierra Nevada at [[Ebbetts Pass]] on his way to the 1827 fur trade rendezvous.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2020= 1710
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,422 people, 553 households, and 419 families residing in the CDP. The [[population density]] was 11.8 people per square mile (4.6/km{{sup|2}}). There were 610 housing units at an average density of 5.1 per square mile (2.05/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.23% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.27% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.20% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 8.01% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.96% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 19.37% of the population.

There were 553 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 17 living with them, 69.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 3.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,803, and the median income for a family was $46,625. Males had a median income of $31,574 versus $29,038 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $21,940. About 8.4% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

[[Wovoka]], also known as Jack Wilson, a Northern Paiute religious leader who founded the [[Ghost Dance movement]] of 1890, was born and raised in Smith Valley.

== Water use and shortages ==
The [[West Walker River]] flows through Smith Valley, and for more than a century the flows of the Walker have been diverted to irrigate farms and ranches. Diversions of the Walker River have contributed to near complete [[ecosystem collapse]] of [[Walker Lake (Nevada)|Walker Lake]]. The primary crops grown in Smith Valley are alfalfa and hay.

In addition to the use of surface water that has led to the ecological collapse of [[Walker Lake (Nevada)|Walker Lake]], Smith Valley water users have withdrawn groundwater at an unsustainable rate for at least 50 years.<ref name=":0">Nevada Department of Water Resources. Smith and Mason Valleys Water Rights & Groundwater Conditions.http://water.nv.gov/documents/presentations/Walker%20River%20Drought%20Presentation%204_11_22.pdf</ref> In 2015, the Nevada Department of Water Resources issues Order 1267, limiting the use of supplemental groundwater in Smith and [[Mason Valley (Nevada)|Mason Valleys]].<ref>Nevada Department of Water Resources Order 1267 http://water.nv.gov/WalkerRiver/1267o.pdf</ref> The order was subsequently struck down by state district court, as the order's 50% curtailment of all supplemental groundwater rights was found to abridge the priority dates of some supplemental groundwater right owners.<ref>Farmers Against Curtailment Order 2016 Nevada State Assembly Public Comment https://www.leg.state.nv.us/interim/78th2015/committee/statcom/lcwater/other/7-june-2016/agendaxiipcfarmersagainstcurtailmentorderpubliccomment.pdf?rewrote=1</ref> In 2022, a study by the Nevada Department of Water Resources indicated that the groundwater table in Smith Valley has declined by more than {{convert|100|ft}} in the last 50 years and that more than {{convert|287000|acre ft|m3}} of groundwater have been withdrawn from the valley.<ref name=":0" />  During the same time period, the Walker River through Smith Valley has significantly declined in stream efficiency, suggesting that groundwater pumping is leading to more river water leaving the channel to the groundwater table each year.

==Smith Valley High School notable alumni==
*[[Robin L. Titus]], Republican member of the [[Nevada Assembly]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Assemblywoman Robin L. Titus|url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/Legislator/A/Assembly/Current/38|website=Nevada Legislature|accessdate=February 6, 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Upper Colony Fire]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{Lyon County, Nevada}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Lyon County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Nevada]]