The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1920-05-07
WATER MEETING
HELD At M|NOEN
State Engineer Gives
Information Relative
to Adjudication of
Water Rights


The meeting called by the State
Engineer at Minden Tuesday for the
purpose of giving enlightment to the
farmers of Carson Valley, and partic-
ularly those who hold water rights
on the Carson river. was attended by
at least ninety-five per cent of said
water users. The meeting was called
to order by Geo. A. Montrose. who in
troduced Col. J. G. Scrugham. State
Engineer for Nevada.
That official went into detail as to
the reasons the State Engineer call
ing for an adjudication OF the relative
water rights of the Carson river In
Douglas. Lyon and Churchill counties.
In a recent decision handed down
by the supreme court In the Scossa
case, 1t was ordered that 1t was neces-
sary to have all relative rights ap-
proved by the court In the form of a
decree. In the Chandler adjudication.
made some years ago this was not
done. In the matter of adjudication
of water rights. the State Engineer
merely acts as middle man between
the water users and the court. in pre-.
senting tangible records in order that
a decree may be issued.
There are two or more things that
have entered into the necessity OF
taking these steps for adjudication. In
the first and principal cause. the farm
ers of the Dayton district have engag-
ed Geo. s. Brown, Reno attorney. to
bring suit against the farmers of Car
son Valley. Il is claimed that the
farmers of the Dayton section that
hold prior rights. are being denied
what rightfully belongs to them
through the irrigation of lands in
Carson Valley brought under cultiva-
tion in recent years. The protest filed
against the Springmeyer l.. ID. & L. s.
Co, by the farmers of Carson Valley
in the matter of changing the point
of application of water from one piece
OF land to another. also enters into
the necessity of adjudication. In other
words.the main purpose of the adju-
dication>is to prevent litigation which
is sure to come unless the pending
differences are sttled through the pro-
ceedings as set forth by the State En-
gineer.
Many points of interest was brought
out at the meeting held Tuesday. 1t
developed that the holder of an early
water right could not be denied the
privilege of irrigating his land, even
though the holder of a later right
needed water for stock purposes. This
point reveals the fact that holders of
late rights will soon find 1t necessary
to develop wells for stock watering
purposes.
Aside from the adjudication of water
rights, which was discussed quite
freely at the meeting. another point
was brought out. In 1905 the govern
ment appropriated all of the food
waters of the Carson river. Since that
time the State Engineer Of Nevada has
issued many permits for the appropria-
tion of the flood waters of Nevada. In
the event of litigation. the federal
government sould step in as interven-
or and the results would be far
reaching and exceedingly detrimental
to holders of water rights granted by
the state since 1905.
The farmers were convinced by the
State Engineer that the adjudication
of their water rights was step alb
solutely necessary and about the only
means left through which long and
costly litigation may be avoided. and
their rights lawfully determined and
a decree of this effect issued by the
court.