upr000304 8

b rin g t h is area w ith in the p r o v is io n s o f th e underground co n se rv a tio n la w ". At th e tim e i made th a t statem ent i was under th e im p ression th a t th e c e r t i f i c a t e so sign ed by th e Land & Water Company, th e County C o m m is s io n e rs a n d the C ity , was s u f f i c i e n t to a u th o riz e th e S ta te E ngineer t o a d m in ister th e A ct but a f t e r lo o k in g in to th e A ct a l i t t l e more c a r e fu lly i t o ccu rs to me th a t n otw ith sta n d in g th e f a c t th e S ta te E ngineer has been a d m in iste rin g th e p r o v i­sio n s o f th e A ct in s o fa r as the appointm ent o f a water Com­m is s io n e r i s con cern ed and in s o fa r as r e q u ir in g a perm it from th e S ta te E ngineer b e fo r e d r i l l i n g o p e ra tio n s can be commenced, th a t u n le ss th e p e t it io n c a lle d f o r in th e Act sign ed "b y not JLe ss than ten p e rce n t o f the owners of w e lls in any p a r t ic u la r b a sin having a leg & i r ig h t x.o a p p ro p ria te underground w ater th erefrom as evid en ced by th e r e c o r d s o f th e S ta te E n g in e e r's O ff ic e " the S ta te -Engineer has no j u r i s d i c t i o n to a d m in ister th e p r o v is io n s o f the A ct. The A ct p e rta in in g to th e c o n s e r v a tio n #and d i s t r i ­b u tio n o f underground w a te rs, w hich l am r e fe r r in g t o , was adopted March 2 5 , 1939, and can be fou n d in Volume I I o f .Nevada Compiled Laws Supplement at S e c tio n 7993*10 to Sec­t io n 7 9 9 3 .2 4 . S e c tio n s 5 , 6 , and 8 o f sa id A ct were amend­ed in 1943 11943 S ta tu te s , page 1 3 9 -1 4 0 ). S e c tio n 4 o f th e A c t .p r o v id the S ta te Engineer or a p e t it io n reque es s, ti"nUgp ohnim.r etcoe ipadt mbiyh - i s t e r th e p r o v is io n s o f t h is A ct sign ed by n o t e le s s than^ ten p ercen t o f th e owners o f w e lls in any p a r t ic u la r b a sin having a le g a l r ig h t t o a p p ro p ria te underground w ater th erefrom as eviden ced by th e r e co rd s o f th e S ta te Engin­e e r 's O f f i c e , he s h a ll d e sig n a te such area by b a sin o r by su b -b a sin o r by tow nship and p roceed w ith th e adm inis­t r a t io n o f t h is a c t on a l l w e lls th at were d r i l l e d subse­quent to March 22 , 1913, save and e x c e p tin g th o s e wells^ coming under th e p r o v is io n s o f S e c tio n 2 o f t h is A ct (th a t should be S e c tio n 3 ) . I I am s a t is f i e d th a t no such p e t it io n was ever prepared or p resen ted but as h e r e to fo r e sta te d th e S ta te Engineer i s now o p e ra tin g under th e p r o v is io n s o f t h is A ct in c e r t a in r e s p e c t s . S e c tio n 5 , as amended, p ro v id e s f o r th e le v y o f a s p e c ia l ta x by th e Board o f County Com­m is s io n e r s f o r th e purpose o f paying th e s a la r y o f th e A rte sia n W ell S u p e rv iso r and h is a s s is t a n t . At th e p re ­sen t tim e, how ever, and pursuant to the 1943 amendment, such su p e rv iso r in t h is d i s t r i c t i s b ein g p a id out o f th e S ta te l a t e r D is tr ib u t io n Fund (s e e 1943 S ta tu te s , page 3 4 ), and such sa la ry w i l l p rob a b ly con tin u e to be paid out o f sa id Water D is tr ib u t io n Fund so lon g as th e re i s money th e r e in a p p ro p ria te d f o r th a t purpose althou gh S ec­t i o n s as amended, p r o v id e s th a t pending the le v y and c o l ­l e c t i o n o f th e tax to be le v ie d by the Board o f County Com m issioners, such s a la r y may be paid from sa id w ater .D istrib u tio n Fund.