The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-07-10
ELKO WATER USERS
HELD BIG MEETING

The court room at Elko was
crowded Thursday afternoon, says
the Free Press, by the water users
the county. who had come
in response TO a call by State Engi-
neer Scrugham. and but few land
owners of the county were absent.
Scrugham called the meeting to or
der at 1870 pm. sharp, and in an ad
dress lasting not over thirty min
utes. put before the water users the
importance of adopting some method
of hurrying up and facilitating the
adjudication of the water rights of
the Humboldt river. He told of be-
ing present this week at meeting
of the water users of the lower Hum
boldt at Lovelock, and at Winnemuc-
ca and Battle Mountain, how the
Lovelock people already had an or
ganization; that the Winnemucca
people has practically completed
their organization, and that the Bat
tie Mountain people were now organ
izing. He urged upon his audience
the importance and necessity of the
water users of the entire system get
ting together and pointed out that if
this were done and delegates from
district appointed to assist and work
with the state engineer, the work of
adjudication would be shortened and
could be finished in reasonable
length of time, whereas if adjudica-
tons were to continue as they have
been during the past year, it would
take ten years. or longer, to COM
plete them.
He explained that the object of call
ing the water users together and
forming an association was not for
the purpose of fighting the users low
er down the river, but rather to head
off the expensive litigation which has
been threatened to soon be brought
He assured his audience that the pee-
pie lower down the stream were
ready and anxious to meet the users
from the upper Humboldt more than
half way in order to get just and
proper settlement of the waters, and
if two delegates were appointed from
each OF the three districts. they could
meet and cooperate with the state
engineers office and make short cuts
to the solution, impossible unless all
were willing. This action would not
come under any provision of the state
water laws, but would be tentative
adjudication, leading to a better un-
derstanding between the upper and
lower water users of the river and on
which would be based the final ad-
judication.
Two representatives were present
from the Lower Humboldt, w. C.
Noteware and l.. HI. Taylor, who adj
dressed the meeting. A number of
local men made short addresses, af-
ter which an organization was per-
fected. Webster Patterson, of the La
noble Valley, was elected chairman
and James Byers. of Lamoille. secre-
tary. The name of the organization
was the "Elko County Water
Users Association of the Upper Hum
boldt," and the territory comprises
all the country lying east of Pali-
sade.
Four delegates were elected to
meet with the state engineer, being
as follows: John H. Cazier from the
east; c. l.. Nuckols from the north:
C. w. Griswold from the south and
]. j. Hylton from the west.
Colonel Scrugham explained that
the funds of the state engineers Of
fee is depleted and that to carry on
the work it will be necessary to raise
at least $4,000. which will be di-
vided pro rata among the land own
ers, each paying on a basis of the