The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-01-06
WATER CONDITIONS
ON THE HUMBOLDT

The following statement has been
made by State Engineer Kearney rela
tive to the adjudication of water
rights on the Humboldt river and trib-
iutaries:
For the first three months of the
wear 1913, the office of the state en-
gineer was operated under the law of
1907. During this period the proofs OF
appropriation of water users of the
Humboldt river in three districts were
distracted and complied for publiea-
ton. The field engineers mapped the
surveys of the cultivated land, made
by them during the preceding summed.
districts on the Humboldt river.
On March %. 1913, the new water
law took effect. Immediately thereaf
ter, rules and regulations and new
forms were prepared and printed to
comply with the provisions Of the new
code.
The adjudication of the claims to the
waters in Paradise valley was taken
M and it is now practically complete
The SURVEYS and mans of the entire
CO ltivated area in this valley have
hen made and the abstract of claims
to water has been published and sub
mitted to the water users. Final hear
ings on contested claims were called.
hut a continuance was granted upon
request in order that the contested
claims might be adjusted without tax
ing testimony. The work here com
prises the determination of the water
rights for approximately soon
acres of land.
On the Humboldt system. which :
the largest and most complicated in
the state. the field SURVEYS Of the en-
tire cultivated area have Just been
completed. The field engineers have
returned to the main office in Car en-
City to work M their field notes and
man the cultural areas.
The determination of the water
rights on the Humboldt river REQUIRED
the survey of about 100000 acres of
land. IT entailed 2 verv large amour.
Of work and consumed considerable
time, owing to the immense territory
to be covered.
It this time the proofs of appro-
priatien of five of the eleven districts
on this system have been filed. ali
stracted and ready for the printer.
Fnal hearings on the contested claims
in one district, comprising about %.
600 acres of cultivated land. have
ben held. The findings of the state
eu gineer have not been rendered. how
ever. owing to a pending suit, which
has been filed to test the constitution
ality of the water code.
IT, I-1uu1 - it, =. -.
piieations for water Rave been %reeeiv-
ed. filed and published during the
wear. All of these filings nave been
iudexed in three sets of cards induces.
viz: the stream, name Of applicant
and township in which the point Of
diversion is located. Approximately
20 inspections and reports of water
filings have been made. exclusive of
the inspections and reports male hv
the field engineers while surveying
cultivated lands.
The water commissioners We're en-
ployed during the irrigation season to
distribute the water of adiudicated
streams. The successful distribution
of water for irrigation in these dis
tricts is evidenced by the fact that
there were no complaints on the part
of the water users interested.
The suit involving the constitution
atty of the water code, brought in
Humboldt county, has handicapped
the progress of the work to some *
tent, owing to the time consumed in
obtaining a final construction of the
law.
The work determining the rights OF
the important streams in the state is
so far advanced, however, that an ear
ly consummation can be expected as
soon as the Supreme Court passes up
on the constitutionality of the law un
der which this is operated.
w. M. KEARNEY,
State Engineer.