On February 5, 2015, the Nevada State Engineer issued Order Number 1251 concerning metering requirements for owners of underground water rights within the Humboldt River Basin Hydrographic Region.
The Nevada State Engineer determined it is in the public interest to assign metering requirements in order to protect underground water within the Humboldt River Basin. Order No. 1251 set February 2, 2016 as the deadline to install totalizing meters in the discharge pipeline near points of diversion for wells within this basin. Within 30 days of the installation of this meter, each owner must file a report of installation with State Engineer. This report is available from the Nevada Division of Water Resources at http://water.nv.gov/forms/.
The Order further specifies that once the installation of the meter is complete, each owner must keep monthly records of the amount of water pumped from each well and must submit these records to the State Engineer within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter.
The Nevada State Engineer provided a few exceptions to this Order, generally for domestic wells, wells drilled for stockwater or wells with an authorization of less than 5 acre-feet annually. For more information, please see Order 1251 at http://images.water.nv.gov/images/orders/1251o.pdf.
Schroeder Law Offices is happy to provide further explanation and/or review of this Order and how it pertains to specific water rights. We can also assist you in navigating the installation process and metering records reporting to ensure compliance with this Order. If you have any questions or requests for assistance, please call our office at (775) 786-8800.
