Lyon County is writing its first-ever rules for data centers, and what gets decided now will shape the region's water and land for generations.

The county has no existing regulations for data centers, even as dozens of facilities already operate nearby. A draft ordinance is underway, but residents and tribal members who spoke at a recent public workshop say it needs stronger protections before any new facility is approved.

The water concerns are not hypothetical.

Fourth-generation Lyon County resident James Rosashi told the county commission in August 2026 that past industrial projects have left the area struggling with arsenic and radium in the water. "I don't want to see that happen again because it is already difficult to get clean drinking water," he said.

Laverne Roberts of the Yerington Paiute Tribe also spoke, urging protection of the Valley of Wovoka, sacred land that has already seen water drained by prior industrial development. "You can't live without water," she told the Nevada Appeal.

The commission voted 5-0 to revise the draft. The final ordinance needs to go further: requiring environmental review, clear water and cooling system standards, and defined oversight from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

Sign the petition to demand Lyon County adopt strong, enforceable environmental protections in its data center ordinance before any new facility is approved.