A hearing to start sorting out water rights along creeks entering the southwestern Carson Valley attracted nearly two dozen people to Douglas County District Court on Wednesday.
Judge Dave Gamble divided into six parts the adjudication of the state water engineer's order to determine the water rights on Mott Creek, Taylor Creek, Cary Creek, Monument Creek, Bulls Canyon, Stutler Creek, Sheridan Creek, Gansberg Spring, Sharpe Spring, Wheeler Creeks No. 1 and 2, Miller Creek, Beers Spring, Luther Creek and several other unnamed water sources.
At least three of the parts appear near settlement in the case.
Gamble organized the case and told attorneys to enter motions to intervene to participate.
"I'm going to be very liberal in allowing those who want to intervene to participate," he said.
He gave attorneys 30 days total to file their paperwork, with initial filings due in five days.
"I encourage you to resolve whatever issues can be resolved soon," he said. "I know we've got a short time frame, but hopefully the bulk of the work has already been done."
Adjudication of the state engineer's order will be the culmination of more than two decades' work to research and distribute the water from the streams that drain into Carson Valley from the Carson Range.
The state engineer was originally called on to determine the relative rights to the water of Sheridan Creek in 1987.
The state engineer decided to expand the determination to include several creeks in the vicinity.
The state engineer's file order, issued Aug. 14, 2008, runs 230 pages long and includes tables listing the diversions of each waterway.
Gamble said this is the second time in his career he's had to work on a major water rights case. He adjudicated Genoa Creek not long after he was elected to office.
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