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 NEVADA 
 
 IRRIGATION 
 
 DISTRICT ACT, 
 
 1920 
 
 BANCROFT 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
STATE 
 
 OF NEVADA 
 
 THE NEVADA IRRIGATION 
 DISTRICT ACT 
 
 Pamphlet No. 9 
 
 . ISSUED BY 
 
 J. G. SCRUGHAM, State Engineer 
 
 CARSON CITY, NEVADA 
 
 STATE PRINTING OFFICE : : : JOE FARNSWORTH, SUPERINTENDENT 
 
 1920 
 

THE NEVADA IRRIGATION DISTRICT ACT 
 
 Stats. 191.9, page 84 
 
 CHAP. 64 An Act to provide for the organization and gov- 
 (rnment of irrigation districts, for the irrigation and 
 drainage of lands and other related undertakings thereby, 
 and for the acquisition and distribution of water and 
 other property, construction, operation and maintenance 
 of works, diversion, storage, distribution, collection, and 
 carriage of water, cooperation with the United States; and 
 matters properly connected therewith. 
 
 [Approved March 19, 1919] 
 
 SECTION 1. A majority in number of the holders of title, 
 or evidence of title, to lands susceptible of one mode of irri- 
 gation from a common source or combined sources, and by 
 the same system or combined systems of works, may propose 
 the organization of an irrigation district under this act; 
 provided, said holders of title or evidence of title shall hold 
 such title or evidence of title to at least one-half part of the 
 total area of the land in the proposed district ; provided, fur- 
 ther, that every signer of a petition for the organization of 
 an irrigation district shall be the holder of title or evidence 
 of title to at least five acres of land within the proposed dis- 
 trict. The equalized county assessment roll next preceding 
 the presentation of a petition for the organization of an 
 irrigation district shall be sufficient evidence of title for the 
 purpose of this act, but other evidence may be received, 
 including receipts or other evidence of rights of entrymen 
 on land under any law of the United States, and such entry- 
 men shall be competent signers of such petition, and the land 
 on which they have made entries shall, for the purpose of 
 said petition, be considered as owned by them. Such entry- 
 men shall share all the privileges and obligations of free- 
 holders and owners of private land within the district, under 
 the several provisions of this act, including the right to vote 
 and hold office, subject to the terms of the act of Congress 
 entitled "An act to promote reclamation of arid lands," 
 approved August 11, 1916. The petitioners may determine 
 in said petition whether the proposed district shall be divided 
 into three, five, or seven divisions, and whether it shall have 
 three, five, or seven directors, but if no number is named in 
 the petition the board of county commissioners may deter- 
 mine whether the number shall be three, five, or seven. 
 
 SEC. 2. Whenever it is proposed to organize an irrigation 
 district a petition shall first be presented to the board of 
 county commissioners of the county in which the lands or 
 the greater portion thereof are situated, signed by the 
 required number, possessing the qualifications provided for 
 in section 1 of this act, which petition shall set forth and 
 
particularly describe the proposed boundaries of such dis- 
 trict and shall pray that the same may be organized under 
 the provisions of this act. The petitioners must accompany 
 the petition with a good and sufficient bond to be approved 
 by the said board of county commissioners in double the 
 amount of the probable cost of organizing such district, con- 
 ditioned that the bondsmen will pay all said costs in case 
 said organization shall not be effected. Such petition shall 
 be filed in the office of the county clerk and a notice thereof 
 shall be published for at least two weeks before the time at 
 which the same is to be presented to the board of county 
 commissioners in some newspaper printed and published in 
 the county where said petition is presented, which newspaper 
 shall be designated by said board as the paper most likely to 
 impart notice of the hearing of said petition ; the said notice 
 to set forth that said petition has been filed, the time of the 
 meeting of said board to consider said petition, and a descrip- 
 tion of the territory to be embraced in such proposed district. 
 SEC. 3. When such petition is presented, and it shall 
 appear that the notice of the presentation of said petition 
 has been given and that said petition has been signed by 
 the requisite number of petitioners as required by this act, 
 the commissioners shall hold a hearing on said petition and 
 may adjourn such hearing from time to time not exceeding 
 three weeks in all. Contiguous or neighboring lands sus- 
 ceptible of irrigation from the common source or combined 
 sources aforesaid, not included in such district as described 
 in the petition, may at such hearing upon application of the 
 holder or holders of title or evidence of title thereto as pre- 
 scribed in section 1 hereof be included in such district, and 
 lands described in said petition not susceptible of irrigation 
 from such system or systems may upon similar application 
 be excluded therefrom; provided always, that said board 
 shall not modify the boundaries described in the petition so 
 as to change the object of said petition or so as to exempt 
 from the operation of this act any land which is susceptible 
 of irrigation by the system. or systems aforesaid. In the 
 hearing of any such petition the board of county commis- 
 sioners shall disregard any informalities therein, and in case 
 it deny the same or dismiss it for any reasons on account of 
 the provisions of this act not having been complied with, 
 which are the only reasons upon which it shall have the right 
 to refuse or dismiss the same, it shall state its reasons in 
 writing therefor in detail, which shall be entered upon its 
 records, and in case the reasons are not well founded a writ 
 of mandamus shall upon proper application therefor issue 
 out of the district court of the county compelling it to act in 
 compliance with this act, which writ shall be heard within 
 twenty days from the date of issuance, such time to be 
 excluded from the time given the county commissioners to 
 act upon the petition. Upon the completion of the hearing 
 the count v commissioners shall forthwith make an order 
 
denying or granting the prayer of said petition, and if the 
 same is granted shall, in said order, define and establish the 
 boundaries and designate the name of such proposed district 
 ;nid divide the same into three, five, or seven divisions, as 
 proscribed in the petition, as nearly equal in size as may be 
 practicable. Thereupon the said commissioners shall by fur- 
 ther order duly entered upon their record call an election of 
 the qualified electors of said proposed district to determine 
 whether such district shall be organized under the provisions 
 of this act, and by such order shall submit the names of one 
 or more persons from each of the divisions of said district to 
 be voted for as directors of the district. One director shall 
 be elected from each division and shall be a qualified elector 
 of the district and holder of title, or evidence of title, as 
 prescribed in section 1 of this act, to land within the division 
 from which he is elected. Each division shall constitute an 
 election precinct for the purposes of this act. The board of 
 county commissioners shall give notice of such election, 
 which shall be published for two weeks prior to such election 
 in a newspaper within the county where the petition is filed. 
 Such notice shall require the electors to cast ballots, which 
 shall contain the words " Irrigation District Yes," or "Irri- 
 gation District No," or words equivalent thereto, and the 
 names of persons to be voted for as directors. For the pur- 
 pose of this election the board shall establish a polling place 
 in each election precinct aforesaid, and shall also appoint 
 three qualified electors to act as inspectors of election in 
 each election precinct, and also appoint for each precinct 
 two clerks of election. The number of directors and the 
 number and boundaries of divisions of any district organized 
 under the laws of this state shall not be altered or changed 
 except by a petition of a majority of the qualified electors of 
 the district and a majority of the directors. 
 
 SEC. 4. Except as in this act otherwise provided, all such 
 elections shall be conducted as near as may be practicable in 
 accordance with the general election laws of this state. The 
 board of county commissioners shall meet on the second 
 Monday succeeding such election and proceed to canvass the 
 votes cast thereat, and if upon such canvass it appear that a 
 majority of the electors voted "Irrigation District Yes" the 
 board, by an order entered upon its minutes, shall declare 
 such territory duly organized as an irrigation district under 
 the name and style theretofore designated, and shall declare 
 the persons receiving respectively the highest number of 
 votes for directors to be duly elected, and shall cause a copy 
 of such order and a plat of said district, each duly certified 
 by the clerk of the board of county commissioners, to be 
 immediately filed for record in the office of the county 
 recorder of each county in which any portion of such lands 
 are situated, and certified copies thereof shall also be filed 
 with the county clerk of such counties, and thereafter the 
 organization of the district shall be complete. No lands 
 
while they remain within a district shall be included in any 
 other district. 
 
 SEC. 5. The regular elections of irrigation districts shall 
 be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April 
 of the second calendar year after the completion of the 
 organization thereof, and on the same day biennially there- 
 after, or as to districts heretofore organized, biennially after 
 the first regular election therein. The directors elected at 
 the organization election shall be selected by lot so that 
 one, two or three directors, according to whether there are 
 in all three, five, or seven on the board, shall hold office until 
 their successors are elected at the next regular election and 
 qualify, and two, three, or four directors, as the case may be, 
 shall hold office until their successors are elected at the 
 second regular election after organization and qualify, and 
 at the regular election biennially thereafter directors shall 
 be elected, to replace the directors whose terms expire, for 
 terms of four years, or until their successors are elected and 
 qualify. Directors so elected shall have the qualifications 
 prescribed in this act for directors elected at the time of 
 organization. Nominations for the office of directors shall be 
 made by filing a declaration with the secretary within fifty 
 days before the date of election and not later than ten days 
 before such election. Candidates shall pay twenty-five ($25) 
 dollars filing fee with such declaration. 
 
 SEC. 6. Not less than fifteen nor more than twenty days 
 before any election held under this act subsequent to the 
 organization of the district the secretary shall cause notice 
 specifying the polling places and time of holding the elec- 
 tion to be posted in three public places in each election pre- 
 cinct and in the office of the board of directors. Prior to 
 the time for posting the notice the board of directors shall 
 appoint three qualified electors to act as inspectors of elec- 
 tion in such election precinct and shall also appoint two 
 clerks of election for each precinct. If the board of directors 
 fail to appoint a board of election or the members appointed 
 do not attend the opening of the polls on the morning of elec- 
 tion the electors of the precinct present at that hour may 
 appoint the board or supply the place of absent members 
 thereof. The board of directors shall, in its order appointing- 
 the board of election, designate the hour and the place in each 
 precinct where the election shall be held. At least four weeks 
 before any such election said board of directors shall appoint 
 a registrar for each precinct of the district. Such registrars 
 shall be governed in the performance of their duties by the 
 general election laws of the state as far as they are applicable 
 and shall be at their places of registration to receive applica- 
 tions for registrations from nine o'clock a. m. to nine o'clock 
 p. m. on each of the three Saturdays next preceding the 
 date of election. The registrars shall require registrants to 
 take the following oath, in substance : "I am, or have declared 
 my intention to become, a citizen of the United States, am 
 
over tin* ; of t wentv-one years, and am, or properly rep- 
 resent, under the law in pursuance of which this election is 
 to he held, the holder of title or evidence of title, as denned 
 
 in said law, to land within the boundaries of the 
 
 irrigation district." No election for any purpose except for 
 organization shall be held in any irrigation district without 
 such rejristration, and only electors duly registered shall be 
 entitled to vote thereat. 
 
 SEC. 7. Before opening the polls each inspecto^and each 
 clerk must take and subscribe to an oath to faithfully per- 
 form the duties imposed upon him by law. Any elector of 
 the precinct may administer and certify such oath. Vacan- 
 cies occurring during the progress of the election may be 
 filled by the remaining inspector or inspectors, and any 
 inspector of election may administer and certify oaths. 
 The time of opening and closing the polls, the manner of 
 conducting the election, canvassing and announcing the 
 result, the keeping of the tally-list, and the making and cer- 
 tifying of such result and the disposition of the ballots after 
 election shall be the same, as near as may be, as provided 
 for elections under the general election law of this state, 
 but no registrar or election officer shall receive any pay for 
 services at any district election. The returns shall be 
 delivered to the secretary of the district and no list, tally- 
 paper or returns from any election shall be set aside or 
 rejected for want of form if it can be satisfactorily under- 
 stood. The board of directors shall meet at its usual place of 
 meeting on the second Monday after an election to canvass 
 the returns and it shall proceed in the same manner and 
 with like effect, as near as may be, as the board of county 
 commissioners in canvassing the returns of general elections, 
 and when it shall have declared the result the secretary shall 
 make full entries in his record in like manner as is required 
 of the county clerk in general elections. The board of 
 directors must declare efected the person or persons having 
 the highest number of votes given for each office. The sec- 
 retary shall immediately make out and deliver to such per- 
 son or persons a certificate of election signed by him and 
 authenticated with the seal of the board. Within ten days 
 after receiving the certificate of his election, each director 
 shall take and subscribe to an official oath and file the same 
 with the secretanr of the board of directors. Each member 
 of said board of directors shall execute an official bond in 
 the sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), which shall be 
 approved by the judge of the district court in and for the 
 county where such organization is effected. Such bonds 
 shall be recorded in the office of the county recorder and 
 filed with the secretary of the board. 
 
 SEC. 8. Any person, male or female, of the age of 21 years 
 or over, whether a resident of the district or not, who is or 
 has declared his intention to become a citizen of the United 
 States and who is a bona-fide holder of title, or evidence of 
 
title, as defined in section 1 hereof, to land situated in the 
 district, shall be entitled to one vote at any election held 
 under the provisions of this act, and shall be held to be 
 referred to whenever the words elector or electors are used 
 herein. Any elector residing outside of the district owning 
 land in the district and qualified to vote at district elections 
 shall be considered as a resident of that division and precinct 
 of the district in which the major portion of his lands are 
 located f- the purpose of determining his place of voting 
 and qualifications for holding office. A guardian, executor 
 or administrator shall be considered as the holder of title 
 or evidence of title as prescribed in section 1 hereof to the 
 land in the estate for which he is such guardian, executor, or 
 administrator, and shall have the right to sign petitions, vote 
 and do all things that any elector may or can do under this 
 act. Corporations holding land in the district shall be con- 
 sidered as persons entitled to exercise all the rights of natural 
 persons and the president of the corporation, or other person 
 duly authorized by the president or vice-president in writ- 
 ing, may sign any petition authorized by this act or cast the 
 vote of the corporation at any election. 
 
 SEC. 9. The officers of such district shall consist of three, 
 five, or seven directors, as aforesaid, a president and vice- 
 president elected from their number, a secretary and a 
 treasurer. The secretary and treasurer shall be appointed 
 by the board of directors and may or may not be members of 
 said board. Such officers shall serve at the will of the board. 
 One person may be appointed to serve as secretary and 
 treasurer. The board of directors shall designate some place 
 within the county where the organization of the district was 
 effected as the office of the board and the board shall hold a 
 regular monthly meeting in its office on the first Monday in 
 every month and such special meetings as may be required 
 for the proper transaction of business; provided, that all 
 special meetings must be called by the president or a major- 
 ity of the board. The order calling such special meeting shall 
 be entered of record, and the secretary shall give each mem- 
 ber not joining in the order five days' notice of such special 
 meeting. The order must specify the business to be trans- 
 acted at such special meeting, and none other than that- 
 specified shall be transacted. Whenever all members of the 
 board are present at a meeting the same shall be deemed a 
 legal meeting and any lawful business may be transacted. 
 All meetings of the board shall be public and a majority of 
 the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of 
 business, but on all questions requiring a vote there shall be 
 a concurrence of at least a majority of the members of the 
 board. All records of the board shall be open to the inspec- 
 tion of any elector during business hours. On the first 
 Monday in May next following their election, the board of 
 directors shall meet and organize, elect a president and vice- 
 president and appoint a secretary and treasurer. The 
 
appointees aforesaid shall file bonds which shall In- approved 
 by the board, for the faithful performance of their duties. 
 Any vacancies in the office of director shall be filled from the 
 division in which the vacancy occurs by the remaining mem- 
 bers of the board. A director appointed to fill a vacancy, as 
 above provided, shall hold his office for the unexpired term 
 of his predecessor in office, and until his successor is elected 
 and qualifies. 
 
 SEC. 10. The board of directors shall have power to 
 manage and conduct the business and affairs of the district, 
 to make and execute all necessary contracts, to employ and 
 appoint such agents, officers, and employees as may be 
 required and prescribe their duties, and to establish by-laws, 
 rules and regulations for the distribution and use of water 
 in the district. Said by-laws, rules, and regulations shall be 
 printed in convenient form for distribution throughout the 
 district. For the purpose of acquiring control over govern- 
 ment lands within the district, and of complying with the 
 provisions of the aforesaid act of Congress of August 11, 
 1916, the board shall have power to make such investigation 
 and base thereon such representations and assurances to the 
 secretary of the interior as may be requisite. The board and 
 its agents and employees shall have the right to enter upon 
 any land to make surveys, and may locate the necessary irri- 
 gation and other works, and the lines of any canal or canals, 
 and the necessary branches for the same, on any lands 
 which may be deemed best for such location. Said board 
 shall also have the right to acquire, either by purchase, con- 
 demnation, or other legal means, all lands, rights, and other 
 property necessary for the construction, use and supply, 
 operation, maintenance, repair, and improvement of the 
 works of the district, including canals and works constructed 
 and being constructed by private owners, lands for reser- 
 voirs for the storage of waters, and all other works and 
 appurtenances, either within or without the State of Nevada. 
 In case of purchase of property the bonds of the district 
 hereinafter provided for may be used to their par value in 
 payment. The board may appropriate water in accordance 
 with the law, and also construct the necessary dams, reser- 
 voirs, and works for the collection, storage, conservation and 
 distribution of water for said district and for the drainage 
 of the lands thereof, and do any and every lawful act neces- 
 sary to be done in order to accomplish the things and pur- 
 poses herein described. The collection, storage, conveyance, 
 distribution and use of water by or through the works 
 of irrigation districts heretofore or hereafter organized, 
 together with the rights of way for canals and ditches, sites 
 for reservoirs, and all other works and property required to 
 fully carry out the provisions of this act, is hereby declared 
 to be a public use. 
 
 SEC. 11. The said board is hereby authorized and empow- 
 ered to institute, maintain, and defend, in the name of the 
 
.: 10 
 
 district, any and all actions and proceedings, suits at law, 
 and in equity. 
 
 SEC. 12. The members of the board of directors shall each 
 receive five dollars per day and actual traveling expenses for 
 each day spent attending meetings of said board or while 
 engaged in official business under the order of the board. 
 The board shall fix the compensation to be paid to the other 
 officers named in this act; provided, that said board shall, 
 upon the petition of a majority of the electors within such 
 district, submit to the electors at any general election of said 
 district a schedule of salaries and fees to be paid the direc- 
 tors and officers thereof. Such petitions shall be presented to 
 the board twenty days prior to such general election and a 
 schedule fee submitted upon a two-thirds vote therefor shall 
 be put into effect upon the first of the month next ensuing. 
 
 SEC. 13. No director or any other officer named in this 
 act shall in any manner be interested, directly or indirectly, 
 in any contract awarded by the board, or in the profits to 
 be derived therefrom ; and for any violation of this provi- 
 sion such officer shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, 
 and upon conviction thereof shall suffer a forfeiture of his 
 office, and he shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five 
 hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail not 
 to exceed six months or by both such fine and imprisonment. 
 
 SEC. 14. The board of directors, or other officers of the 
 district, shall have no power to incur any debt or liability 
 whatever either by issuing bonds or otherwise in excess of 
 the express provisions of this act, and any debt or liability 
 incurred in excess of such express provisions shall be and 
 remain absolutely void ; provided, that for the purpose of 
 organization, or for any of the purposes of this act, the board 
 of directors may, before the collection of the first assessment, 
 incur an indebtedness not exceeding in the aggregate the 
 sum of three thousand dollars, and may cause warrants of 
 the district to issue therefor, bearing interest at six per cent 
 per annum, and the directors shall have the right and power 
 to levy an assessment of not to exceed ten (10) cents per 
 acre on all lands in said district for the payment of such 
 expenses. Thereafter the directors shall have the right and 
 power to levy an assessment, annually, in the absence of 
 assessments therefor under any of the other provisions of 
 this act of not to exceed ten (10) cents per acre on all lands 
 in said district for the payment of the ordinary and current 
 expenses of the district, including salaries of officers and other 
 incidental expenses. Such assessments shall be collected as 
 in this act provided for the collection of other assessments. 
 
 SEC. 15. As soon as practicable after the organization of 
 a district the board of directors shall, by a resolution entered 
 on its records, formulate a general plan of its proposed 
 operations in which it shall state what constructed works or 
 other property it proposes to purchase and the cost of pur- 
 chasing the same, and also what construction work it pro- 
 poses to do, and how it proposes to raise the funds for 
 
11 
 
 carrying out such general plan. The board shall cause such 
 .surveys and examinations to be made as will furnish a proper 
 luisis for an estimate of the cost of carrying out the con- 
 struction work. All such surveys, examinations, maps, plans, 
 and estimates shall be made under the direction of a com- 
 petent irrigation engineer and certified by him. Upon 
 receiving his report the board shall proceed to determine the 
 amount of money necessary to be raised for the purchase of 
 property and construction of works, and shall immediately 
 thereafter call a special election at which shall be submitted 
 to the electors of said district possessing the qualifications 
 prescribed by this act the question whether or not the 
 expense shall be authorized and whether by bond issue or 
 otherwise. Notice of such election must be given by posting 
 notices in three public places in each election precinct in the 
 district for three weeks before the date of election, and the 
 publication thereof for three weeks in some newspaper pub- 
 lished in the county where the district was organized. Such 
 notice shall specify the time of holding the election, the 
 amount of bonds proposed to be issued, and shall state in 
 substance that such plans and estimates as have been made 
 are on file for inspection by the electors of the district at 
 the office of the board. Said election must be held and the 
 result thereof determined and declared in all respects as 
 nearly as practicable in conformity with the provisions of 
 this act governing the election of officers, and no informali- 
 ties in conducting such an election shall invalidate the same 
 if it shall have been otherwise fairly conducted. At such 
 
 an election the ballot shall contain the words " 
 
 (Question) Yes," or " (Question) No," or 
 
 words equivalent thereto. If two-thirds or more of the 
 votes cast are "Yes," the board of directors shall be author- 
 ized to incur the expense, and if a bond issue be authorized 
 shall cause bonds in the amount authorized to be issued. If 
 more than one-third of the votes cast at any bond election 
 are "No," the result of such election shall be so declared and 
 entered of record. Thereafter, whenever said board in its 
 judgment deems it for the best interest of the district that 
 the question of the issuance of bonds in such amount, or in 
 any other amount, shall be submitted to the electors it shall 
 so declare of record in its minutes, and may thereupon sub- 
 mit such question to said electors in the same manner* and 
 with like effect as at such previous election, but no question 
 shall be resubmitted to the electors within one year after 
 the same has been voted upon and rejected. 
 
 SEC. 16. The bonds authorized by vote shall be designated 
 as a series, and the series shall be numbered consecutively as 
 authorized. The portion of the bonds of the series sold at 
 any time shall be designated as an issue and each issue shall 
 be numbered in its order. The bonds of such issue shall be 
 numbered consecutively, commencing with those earliest fall- 
 ing due, and they shall be designated as eleven-year bonds, 
 twelve-year bonds, etc. They shall be negotiable in form, 
 
12 
 
 and payable in money of the United States as follows, to 
 wit: At the expiration of eleven years from each issue, five 
 per cent of the whole number of bonds of such issue ; at the 
 expiration of twelve years, six per cent ; at the expiration of 
 thirteen years, seven per cent ; at the expiration of fourteen 
 years, eight per cent ; at the expiration of fifteen years, nine 
 per cent ; at the expiration of sixteen years, ten per cent ; 
 at the expiration of seventeen years, eleven per cent ; at the 
 expiration of eighteen years, thirteen per cent ; at the expira- 
 tion of nineteen years, fifteen per cent ; at the expiration of 
 twenty years, sixteen per cent; provided, that such per- 
 centage may be changed sufficiently so that every bond shall 
 be in the amount of one hundred dollars, or a multiple 
 thereof, and the above provisions shall not be construed to 
 require any single bond to fall due in partial payments. 
 Interest coupons shall be attached thereto, and all bonds and 
 coupons shall be dated on January 1, or July 1, next follow- 
 ing the date of their authorization, and they shall bear 
 interest at the rate of not to exceed six per cent per annum, 
 payable semiannually on the first day of January and July 
 of each year. The principal and interest shall be payable at 
 the place designated therein. Said bonds shall be each of a 
 denomination of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more 
 than one thousand dollars, and shall be signed by the presi- 
 dent and secretary, and the seal of the district shall be affixed 
 thereto. Coupons attached to each bond shall be signed by 
 the secretary. Said bonds shall express on their face that 
 they were issued by the authority of this act, naming it, and 
 shall also state the number of the issue of which said bonds 
 are a part. The secretary and the treasurer shall each keep 
 a record of the bonds sold, their number, the date of sale, the 
 price received, and the name of the purchaser. In case the 
 money raised by the sale of all the bonds be insufficient for 
 the completion of the plans and works adopted, and addi- 
 tional bonds be not voted, it shall be the duty of the board of 
 directors to provide for the completion of said plan by levy 
 or assessment therefor; provided, further, that when the 
 money obtained by any previous issue of bonds has become 
 exhausted by expenditures herein authorized, and it becomes 
 necessary to raise additional moneys to carry out the adopted 
 plan, additional bonds may be issued if authorized at an 
 election for that purpose, which election shall be called and 
 otherwise conducted in accordance with the provisions of 
 this act in respect to an original issue of bonds. The lien for 
 taxes for the payment of interest and principal of any bond 
 issue shall be a prior lien to that of any subsequent bond 
 issue. The time for the issuance and maturity of the bonds 
 and the manner of their payment may be otherwise deter- 
 mined and directed, if submitted to a vote, by the electors of 
 said district at the election authorizing the said bonds. 
 
 SEC. 17. Whenever the electors shall have authorized an 
 issue of bonds, as hereinbefore provided, the board of direc- 
 tors shall examine each tract or legal subdivision of land in 
 
13 
 
 tin- district, and shall determine the benetits which will accrue 
 to each of such tracts or subdivisions from the construction or 
 purchase of the works proposed for the district; and the 
 costs of such works shall be apportioned or distributed over 
 such tracts or subdivisions of land in proportion to such 
 benefits. The board shall make, or cause to be made, a list of 
 such apportionment or distribution, which list shall contain a 
 complete description of each subdivision or tract of land of 
 such district with the amount and rate per acre of such 
 apportionment or distribution, and the name of the owner 
 thereof, or it may prepare a map on a convenient scale show- 
 ing each of said subdivisions or tracts with the rate per acre 
 of such apportionment entered thereon ; provided, that where 
 all or any portion of the lands are assessed by said board at 
 the same rate a general statement to that effect shall be suffi- 
 cient. Said list or map shall be made in duplicate, and one 
 copy of each shall be filed in the office of the state engineer, 
 and the original shall remain in the office of the board of direc- 
 tors. Whenever thereafter an assessment is made, either in 
 lieu of bonds, or an annual assessment for raising the interest 
 on bonds, or any portion of the principal, or the expenses of 
 maintaining the property of the district, or any special 
 assessment voted by the electors, it shall be spread upon the 
 lands in the same proportion as the assessments of benefits, 
 and the whole amount of the assessments of benefits shall 
 equal the amount of bonds or other obligations authorized at 
 the election last above mentioned ; provided always, that the 
 benefits arising from the undertakings for which special 
 assessments are made may be distributed equally over the 
 lands, or especially apportioned, when such course is author- 
 ized in the election therefor, and that assessments or tolls and 
 charges may be made or imposed as hereinafter provided, 
 when coming within the designation of operation and main- 
 tenance charges, by way of a minimum stated charge per 
 acre whether water is used or not, and a charge for water 
 used in excess of the amount delivered for the minimum 
 charge, or such other reasonable method of fixing or collect- 
 ing the operation and maintenance charge as the board of 
 directors may adopt. Where drainage works are to be con- 
 structed, benefits may be apportioned to higher lands not 
 then actually requiring drainage by reason of the fact that 
 their irrigation contributes water which must be carried off 
 or away from the lower lands. 
 
 SEC. 18. Before final action upon the apportionment of 
 benefits provided for in the last preceding section, the board 
 shall publish notice for two weeks in a newspaper published 
 in the county in which the organization was effected that it 
 will meet at its office on the day stated in said notice for the 
 purpose of reviewing such apportionment of benefits. At 
 such meeting the board shall proceed to hear all parties inter- 
 ested who may appear, and it shall continue in session from 
 day to day until the apportionment is completed. It shall 
 hear and receive all evidence offered, including any maps or 
 
14 
 
 surveys which any owners of lands may produce, and may 
 classify the lands in such a way that the assessment when 
 completed shall be just and equitable. Any person interested 
 who shall fail to appear before the board shall not be per- 
 mitted thereafter to contest said apportionment, or any 
 assessment thereunder, except upon a special application to 
 the court in the proceeding for confirmation of said appor- 
 tionment, showing reasonable excuse for failing to appear 
 before the board. In case any* elector makes objection to 
 said apportionment before said board, and said objection is 
 overruled and such elector does not consent to the appor- 
 tionment as finally determined, such objection shall, without 
 further proceedings, be heard at the confirmation proceed- 
 ings herein provided for. 
 
 SEC. 19. The board of directors of the district shall file 
 with the clerk of the district court in and for the county in 
 which its office is situated, a petition praying in effect that 
 the proceedings aforesaid be examined, approved and con- 
 firmed by the court. The petition shall state generally that 
 the irrigation district was duly organized and the first board 
 of directors elected, that due and legal proceedings were 
 taken to issue bonds, stating the amount thereof, and that 
 an apportionment of benefits was made by the board and a 
 list thereof duly filed according to law. A list of the appor- 
 tionment shall be attached to said petition, but the petition 
 need not state other facts. Such petition for confirmation 
 of the proceedings thus far had may be filed after the 
 organization of the district is complete, or after the authoriza- 
 tion of any issue of bonds, or after any other undertaking of 
 the district. The court or judge shall fix the time and place 
 for the hearing of any such petition, and the clerk shall 
 publish a notice thereof for two consecutive weeks in a news- 
 paper published in the county. Any person interested may 
 on or before the day fixed for said hearing answer said peti- 
 tion. None of the pleadings need be sworn to, and every 
 material statement of the petition not controverted by answer 
 shall be taken as true. A failure to answer the petition shall 
 be deemed to be an admission of the material allegations 
 thereof. The rules of pleading and practice provided by the 
 civil practice act of this state shall be followed so far as 
 applicable. A motion for a new trial, and all proceedings in 
 the nature of appeals or rehearings, may be had as in any 
 ordinary civil action. 
 
 SEC. 20. Upon the hearing of such petition, the court 
 shall examine all the proceedings sought to be confirmed and 
 may ratify, approve and confirm the same or any part 
 thereof ; and when an apportionment of benefits is examined 
 all objections thereto, including those made at the hearing 
 before the board, shall be set up in the answer and heard 
 by the court. The court shall disregard every error, irregu- 
 larity or omission which does not affect the substantial rights 
 of any party, and if the court shall find that the apportion- 
 ment is as to any substantial matter erroneous or unjust, the 
 
15 
 
 same shall not be returned to the board, but the court shall 
 proceed to correct the same so as to conform to this act and 
 the rights of all parlies in the premises, and the final judg- 
 ment may approve and confirm such proceedings in whole or 
 in part. In case of the approval of the organization of the 
 district and the disapproval of the proceedings for issuing 
 bonds the district may again undertake proceedings for 
 the issuance of bonds and have the same confirmed as herein 
 provided. The cost of the proceedings in court may be 
 allowed and apportioned among the parties thereto in the 
 discretion of the court. 
 
 SEC. 21. The board may sell bonds from time to time in 
 such quantities as may be necessary and most advantageous 
 to raise money for the construction of works and the acquisi- 
 tion of property and rights and to otherwise carry out the 
 objects and purposes of this act. Before making any sale 
 the board shall by resolution declare its intention to sell a 
 specific number and amount of bonds, and if said bonds can 
 be sold at par with accrued interest they may be disposed 
 of without advertising; otherwise notice shall be published 
 for three weeks in a newspaper in the county in which the 
 office of the district is situated, and in such other newspaper 
 in or outside of the state as the board may deem expedient, 
 that sealed proposals will be received at its office on or before 
 a day and hour set in said notice for the purchase of said 
 bonds. At the time appointed the board shall publicly open 
 the proposals, and sell the bonds to the highest responsible 
 bidder, or it may reject all bids; but in case no bids are 
 received, or all bids are rejected, it shall not again be neces- 
 sary to advertise the sale thereof, but they may be sold at 
 any time until canceled ; provided, that the said board shall 
 in no event sell any of the bonds for less than ninety (90) 
 per cent of the par value thereof and accrued interest. If for 
 any reason the bonds of a district cannot be sold, or if at 
 any time it shall be deemed for the best interests of the dis- 
 trict to withdraw from sale all or any portion of an author- 
 ized bond issue, the board of directors may, in its discretion, 
 cancel the same and levy assessments in the amount of the 
 bonds canceled; provided, that the revenue derived from 
 said assessments must be employed for the same purpose as 
 was contemplated by the bond authorization, but no levy 
 shall be made to pay for work or material, payment for 
 which was contemplated by bonds which have been author- 
 ized, until bonds to the amount of said assessments have been 
 canceled. Assessments made in lieu of bonds canceled shall 
 be collected in the same manner and shall have the same force 
 and effect as other assesments levied under the provisions 
 of this act; provided, that such assessments shall not dur- 
 ing any one year exceed ten per cent of the total bond issue 
 authorized by such district, unless a greater assessment shall 
 be authorized by a majority vote of the qualified electors 
 of the district voting at a general election or a special elec- 
 tion called for that purpose. 
 
16 
 
 SEC. 22. Said bonds and the interest thereon shall be paid 
 by revenue derived from the annual assessment upon the 
 lands in the district ; and all the land in the district shall be 
 and remain liable to be assessed for such payment in accord 
 with the apportionment of benefits as in this act provided. 
 
 SEC. 23. The following funds are hereby created and 
 established, to which the moneys properly belonging shall be 
 apportioned, to wit : Construction fund, bond fund, and gen- 
 eral fund. Moneys accruing from the sale of bonds, and from 
 any assessments levied for. the direct payment of cost of con- 
 struction, purchase of property, or other undertakings for 
 which bonds may be issued, shall be deposited and kept in the 
 construction fund. Moneys accruing from assessments levied 
 for the payment of interest and principal on bonds shall be 
 deposited and kept in the bond fund. All other moneys, 
 including those realized from assessments, or, as the case 
 may be, from tolls and charges levied or imposed for defray- 
 ing the organization and current expense of the district, and 
 expenses and cost of the care, operation, maintenance, man- 
 agement, repair, and necessary current improvement or 
 replacement of existing works and property, including 
 salaries and wages of officers and employees and other proper 
 incidental expenditures, shall be deposited and kept in the 
 general fund. The treasurer of the district is hereby author- 
 ized and required to receive and receipt for and to collect the 
 moneys accruing to the several funds above named, and to 
 place the same to the credit of the district in the appropriate 
 fund. Said treasurer shall be responsible upon his official 
 bond for the safe-keeping and disbursement of the moneys in 
 such funds. Interest coupons shall be paid by him as in this 
 act provided. The board may establish rules and regulations 
 and prescribe the conditions under which the treasurer may 
 make disbursements from the general fund, but no other pay- 
 ments from any of the funds above named shall be made by 
 the treasurer except upon vouchers signed by the president 
 and secretary authorized by order of the board. The county 
 treasurer or treasurers who are required by this act to collect 
 assessments levied by the district are hereby authorized to 
 turn over to the treasurer of the district all moneys so col- 
 lected and to take his receipt therefor. Such district treas- 
 urer shall report to the board in writing on the first Monday 
 in each month the amount of money in the several funds 
 aforesaid and the amounts received and paid out in the pre- 
 ceding month, and the treasurer shall make such other report 
 and accounting as the board may require. Such reports shall 
 be verified and filed with the secretary of the board. 
 
 SEC. 24. The treasurer, upon the presentation of interest 
 coupons when due, shall pay the same from the bond fund. 
 Whenever after ten years from the issuance of bonds said fund 
 shall amount to the sum of ten thousand dollars, the board 
 of directors may direct the treasurer to pay such an amount 
 of said bonds not due as the money in said fund will redeem 
 at the lowest value at which they may be offered for liquida- 
 
17 
 
 tion, a ft IT advertising for at least three weeks in SOUK- news- 
 paper published in tin* county in which the office of the 
 district is located, and in such other newspapers as the board 
 may deem advisable, for sealed proposals for the redemption 
 of such bonds. Such proposals shall be opened by the board 
 in open meeting at a time to be named in the notice, and the 
 lowest bid or bids shall be accepted ; provided, that no bonds 
 shall be redeemed at a rate above par. In ease two or more 
 bids are equal the lowest-numbered bond shall have the pref- 
 erence, and if any of said bonds are not so redeemed, that 
 amount of the redemption money shall be invested by the 
 treasurer under the direction of the board in United States 
 bonds or the bonds or warrants of the state or municipal 
 or school bonds, and such bonds and the proceeds therefrom 
 shall belong 1 to the bond fund. 
 
 SEC. 25. The secretary of the board of directors shall be 
 the assessor of the district and on or before August fifteenth 
 of each year shall prepare an assessment book containing a 
 full and accurate list and description of all the land of the 
 district, and a list of the persons who own, claim or have 
 possession or control thereof during said year, giving the 
 number of acres listed to each person. If the name of the 
 person owning, claiming, possessing, or controlling any tract 
 of said land is not known, it shall be listed to "unknown 
 owner." 
 
 SEC. 26. The board shall meet on the first Monday in 
 September of each year to correct assessments and the secre- 
 tary shall publish notice of such meeting for two weeks in a 
 iie\vspaper published in the county in which the district was 
 organized. In the meantime the assessment book or books 
 shall remain in the office of the secretary for the inspection 
 of all parties interested. The board of directors, which is 
 hereby constituted a board of correction for the purpose, 
 shall meet and continue from day to day as long as may be 
 necessary, not to exceed five days, exclusive of holidays, and 
 may make such changes in said assessment book or books as 
 may be necessary to have it conform to the facts. Within ten 
 days after the close of said session the secretary of the board 
 shall have the corrected assessment book or books completed. 
 
 SEC. 27. At its regular meeting in October the board of 
 directors shall levy an assessment upon the lands in said 
 district in accordance with the provisions of this act, which 
 assessment shall be sufficient to raise the annual interest 
 on the outstanding bonds. At the expiration of ten years 
 after a bond issue or such other period as may be author- 
 ized, the board must increase said assessment as may be 
 necessary from year to year to raise a sum sufficient to pay 
 the principal of the outstanding bonds of that issue as they 
 mature. The secretary of the board shall compute and enter 
 in a separate column of the assessment book or books the 
 respective sums to be paid as an assessment on the property 
 therein enumerated. Except as otherwise provided herein, 
 assessments made for any of the other purposes of this act 
 
18 
 
 shall be made and levied as above provided and entered in 
 appropriate columns of the assessment book or books. 
 
 SEC. 28. An assessment is a lien against the property 
 assessed from and after the first Monday in March of the suc- 
 ceeding year. The lien of the bonds of any issue shall be a 
 preferred lien to that of any subsequent issue, and such lien 
 is not removed until the assessments are paid or the property 
 sold for the payment thereof. 
 
 SEC. 29. An assessment book shall be made up for the 
 lands in each county in which the district is situated and 
 the secretary of the board of directors shall forthwith 
 certify the same to the county auditor or county auditors, 
 as the case may be, who shall enter such assessments in the 
 tax rolls of such county or counties. The assessments when 
 levied and enrolled shall become due and delinquent at the 
 same time and be subject to the same penalties and shall be 
 collected by the same officers and in the same manner as state 
 and county taxes. The county auditor, district attorney, 
 clerk and treasurer shall do and perform all acts necessary 
 to accomplish the collection of the same with penalties and 
 the sale for delinquency and redemption of the lands involved. 
 
 SEC. 30. After adopting a plan for such works as are 
 proposed, and then there is sufficient money in the construc- 
 tion fund as aforesaid, the board of directors shall cause 
 notice to be given by the secretary by publication thereof 
 for not less than two weeks in a newspaper published in 
 the county in which the district was organized, and in such 
 other publications or newspapers as it may deem advisable, 
 calling for bids for the construction of such works, or any 
 portion thereof. If less than the whole work is advertised 
 then the portions so advertised must be particularly described 
 in such notice. The notice shall set forth that the plans and 
 specifications can be seen at the office of the board, that the 
 board will receive sealed proposals for the construction of 
 the proposed works and that a contract therefor will be let 
 to the lowest responsible bidder, subject to the right of the 
 board to reject any and all bids, stating the time and place 
 for opening the bids. At the time and place appointed the 
 bids shall be opened in public and as soon as convenient 
 thereafter the board shall accept a bid or bids and contract 
 for the construction of the works, either in portions or as a 
 whole, or it may reject any and all bids and readvertise for 
 proposals. Contracts for the purchase of material shall be 
 entered into in the same manner, but if no reasonable bid is 
 received the material may be purchased without advertise- 
 ment. Any person or persons to whom a contract may be 
 awarded shall enter into a bond in favor of the district with 
 good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by the board 
 for not less than 20 per cent of the amount of the contract 
 price, conditioned upon the faithful performance of said con- 
 tract. The work shall be done under the direction and to the 
 satisfaction of the engineer employed by the district and 
 approved by the board; provided, that no contract of any 
 
19 
 
 kind shall be let by said board of directors unless there is 
 sufficient money in the district treasury at the time such 
 contract is let to fully pay for the work or material so con- 
 tracted for. 
 
 SEC. 31. On the petition of a majority of the electors of the 
 district, the board of directors may do any work mentioned 
 in the preceding section on behalf of the district without call- 
 in jr for bids, and it may use the construction fund therefor. 
 
 SEC. 32. The cost and expense of purchasing and acquir- 
 ing property, and of constructing works to carry out the 
 formulated plan or plans, whether for irrigation or drainage 
 or both, or for the improvement or supplementing of existing 
 works, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be paid out 
 of the construction fund. For the purpose of defraying the 
 organization and current expense of the district, and of the 
 care, operation, maintenance, management, repair, and neces- 
 sary current improvement or replacement of existing works 
 and property, including salaries and wages of officers and 
 employees and other proper incidental expenditures, the 
 board may fix rates of tolls or charges, and provide for the 
 collection thereof by the district treasurer as operation and 
 maintenance, or some like designation, or may levy assess- 
 ments therefor, or for a portion thereof, collecting the balance 
 as tolls or charges as aforesaid. In this relation provision 
 may be made by the board for the fixing, levying and collec- 
 tion of a minimum, flat, or stated operation and maintenance 
 assessment, toll, or charge per acre, whether water is used 
 or not, and a further operation and maintenance toll or 
 charge for water used in excess of the amount delivered for 
 the minimum charge ; or the board may adopt other reason- 
 able methods of fixing and collecting the operation and main- 
 tenance charges. Assessments, tolls, and charges may be 
 collected in advance, and the assessment aforesaid, and such 
 tolls and charges, may be based upon an estimate of the 
 operation and maintenance revenue required for the current 
 or ensuing year ; to be adjusted as near as may be from year 
 to year. Water service may be refused and water delivery 
 may be shut off whenever there is a default in the payment 
 of operation and maintenance, but all other legal remedies 
 shall also be available for the enforcement of the debt. The 
 tolls and charges shall be collected by the treasurer and 
 deposited in the general fund, and he shall account therefor 
 and disburse the same as in this act provided. 
 
 SEC. 33. The board of directors shall have the power to 
 construct the works of the district across any stream of 
 water, watercourse, street, avenue, highway, railway, canal, 
 ditch or flume, in such manner as to afford security for life 
 and property ; but said board shall restore the same when 
 so crossed or intersected to their former state as near as may 
 be or in a manner not unnecessarily impairing its usefulness; 
 and if a railroad company or those in control of the prop- 
 erty, thing or franchise to be crossed cannot agree with the 
 board upon the amount to be paid, or upon the point or 
 
20 
 
 points or the manner of crossing or intersecting, the same 
 shall be ascertained and determined as herein provided in 
 respect to the taking of land. 
 
 SEC. 34. The right of way is hereby given, dedicated and 
 set apart, to locate, construct, operate, and maintain the 
 works of the district over and through any of the lands 
 which are now or may be the property of the state. 
 
 SEC. 35. All irrigation districts organized under the laws 
 of the State of Nevada shall have the right of eminent domain 
 with the power by and through their board of directors to 
 cause to be condemned and appropriated in the name of and 
 for the use of said districts all reservoirs, canals, and works, 
 with their appurtenances, constructed for the irrigation or 
 drainage of any lands within the district for uses inciden- 
 tal thereto, and all lands required therefor, and all lands and 
 rights of way required for the works constructed, or to be 
 constructed, or which may be acquired by the district, and 
 all necessary appurtenances and other property and rights 
 necessary for the construction, operation, maintenance, 
 repair, and improvement of said works. Such districts shall 
 have the right by and through their boards of directors to 
 acquire by purchase or other legal means any or all of the 
 property mentioned and referred to in this section. In any 
 action or proceedings for the condemnation of any such 
 property wherein an irrigation district is plaintiff such dis- 
 trict, within six months after final judgment, shall pay the 
 amount awarded in the judgment or said judgment will be 
 annulled. Except as otherwise provided in this act, the pro- 
 visions of the laws of Nevada relative to the right of eminent 
 domain, civil actions, new trials and appeals, shall be appli- 
 cable to and constitute the rules of practice in condemnation 
 proceedings by irrigation districts. 
 
 SEC. 36. The holder or holders of any title or evidence of 
 title, as defined in section 1 hereof, representing one-half or 
 more of any body of lands adjacent to or in the vicinity of an 
 irrigation district, which are susceptible of irrigation or 
 drainage, as the case may be, or both, by the district system, 
 or combined systems of works, may file with the board of 
 directors of the district a petition, in writing, praying that 
 said land may be annexed. The petition shall describe the 
 land and also describe the several parcels owned by petitioners. 
 
 SEC. 37. The secretary shall cause a notice of the filing of 
 such petition to be published two weeks in a newspaper pub- 
 lished in the county where the district was organized. The 
 notice shall state the filing of such petition, the names of the 
 petitioners, and contain a description of the lands mentioned 
 in the petition, sufficient to identify the same, and it shall 
 notify all persons interested in or that may be affected by 
 such change of boundaries of the district to appear at the 
 office of the board at a time named in said notice and show 
 cause in writing, if any they have, why the lands mentioned 
 should not be annexed to said district. The petitioner or peti- 
 
21 
 
 tinners shall advance to the district treasurer sufficient money 
 to pay the estimated cost of these proceedings. 
 
 SKC. ;JS. The hoard of directors, at the time mentioned in 
 said notice, or at such other time to which the hearing may be 
 adjourned, shall hear the petition and all the objections 
 thereto. The failure of any person to show cause as aforesaid 
 shall be taken as an assent on his part to a change of the 
 boundaries of the district so as to include the whole or part 
 of the land mentioned in the petition. 
 
 SEC. 39. The board of directors may require as a condi- 
 tion to the granting of said petition that the petitioners shall 
 pay to tlie district such sums as nearly as the same can be 
 estimated as said petitioners or their grantors would there- 
 tofore have been required to pay had such lands been 
 included in such district at the time the same was originally 
 organized. 
 
 SEC. 40. The board of directors, if they deem it not for the 
 best interests of the district to include therein the lands men- 
 tioned in the petition shall reject the same. But if the board 
 deem it for the best interests of the district, and if no person 
 interested shall show cause why the proposed change be not 
 made, or if having shown cause withdraws the same, the board 
 may order, without any election, that the lands mentioned in 
 said petition or any part thereof be annexed to the district. 
 The order shall describe the lands so annexed, and the board 
 shall cause a survey thereof to be made if deemed necessary. 
 
 SEC. 41. If any person interested shall object as afore- 
 said and shall not withdraw the same, and if the board deem 
 it for the best interests of the district to include the lands 
 mentioned in said objection, or some part thereof, the board 
 shall adopt a resolution to that effect. The resolution shall 
 describe the lands proposed to be included in the district. 
 
 SEC. 42. Upon the adoption of the resolution mentioned 
 in the last preceding section the board shall order that an 
 election be held within said district to determine whether 
 the lands described in said resolution shall be annexed to 
 the district, and shall fix the time at which such election shall 
 be held. Notice thereof shall be published, and such election 
 shall be held, and all things pertaining thereto conducted 
 in the manner prescribed by this act in case of an election 
 to determine whether bonds of the district shall be issued. 
 The ballots cast at such election shall contain the words "for 
 annexation," or "against annexation," or expressions equiva- 
 lent thereto. The notice of election shall describe the lands 
 proposed to be annexed to the district. 
 
 SEC. 43. If at such election a majority of all the votes cast 
 shall be against annexation the board shall proceed no further 
 in the matter ; but if a majority of such votes be in favor of 
 annexation the board shall thereupon order that the boun- 
 daries of the district be changed to include the lands to be so 
 annexed and cause a copy of such order, together with a plat 
 of said lands, each certified to by the secretary of the board, 
 to be filed for record in the office of the county recorder of the 
 
22 
 
 county or counties in which such lands are situated. The 
 order shall describe the land so annexed and thereafter such 
 lands shall be subject to all the provisions of this act. Imme- 
 diately after the filing for record of the order annexing said 
 lands the directors shall state on their minutes to which divi- 
 sion or divisions in said district the lands shall be attached, 
 or may redivide the district to accommodate said lands. 
 
 SEC. 44. The holder or holders of title, or evidence of 
 title, as described in section 1 hereof, may file with the board 
 of directors a petition, in writing, praying that the boun- 
 daries of said district be so changed as to exclude the lands 
 described therein. The petition shall describe the boundaries 
 of the several parcels owned by the petitioners and shall state 
 the reasons for the exclusion prayed for. The board of direc- 
 tors shall cause the land described in such petition to be sur- 
 veyed and reported upon by a competent irrigation engineer, 
 and if the board shall then find said lands to be of such 
 character as to prevent their receiving benefits from the 
 existing or proposed works, the board shall make an order 
 changing the boundaries of said district so as to exclude the 
 land described in said petition. If lands are excluded as in 
 this section provided a copy of the order excluding same, 
 with a plat of land excluded, each certified by the secretary 
 of the board, shall be filed for record in the office of the 
 county recorder of the county or counties in which such lands 
 arc situated. If said petition be denied, the signers thereof 
 shall be liable to the district for the full amount of cost of 
 the proceedings and survey of said lands. 
 
 SEC. 45. No state lands shall become a part of an irriga- 
 tion district except by the consent of the state land register, 
 who is hereby authorized to consent thereto on behalf of the 
 state in writing when in his judgment, with the advice of 
 the state engineer, such lands will be benefited by inclusion 
 in the district. Such consent may be indicated by signing a 
 petition for organization or annexation as in this act pro- 
 vided. District assessments, charges, and tolls against said 
 lands shall not be assessed as taxes, but shall be billed to the 
 state land register, who shall voucher the same to the appro- 
 priate officer or officers for payment, and such officer or 
 officers are hereby authorized to pay the same out of any 
 state funds not otherwise appropriated. Contracts for the 
 sale of such lands shall be conditioned upon the payment by 
 the purchaser of such assessments, charges and tolls, and 
 upon cancelation of such contracts payments due the district 
 shall be made by the state as above provided. 
 
 SEC. 46. Vested interests in or to structures, works and 
 property or water rights owned or used in connection with 
 mining or power development shall never be affected by or 
 taken under the provisions of this act, saving and excepting 
 that rights of way may be acquired by the district over or 
 across such works or property. 
 
 SEC. 47. Upon the filing of a petition in the district court 
 
23 
 
 setting forth that an irrigation district should be forthwith 
 dissolved, such petition to be signed by at least a majority of 
 the electors owning at least two-thirds of the land in said 
 district, the court shall make its order setting said petition 
 for hearing, giving at least three weeks notice by publica- 
 tion in a newspaper published in the county in which the 
 district was organi/ed; provided, that before the order can 
 be entered dissolving the district the directors must show 
 that the district does not owe any money nor that there are 
 any outstanding bonds of the district or other evidence of 
 indebtedness. Upon a proper showing 1 being made, the court 
 shall enter its order dissolving such irrigation district. 
 
 SEC. 48. The board of directors of a district may at any 
 time when deemed advisable call a special election and sub- 
 mit to the qualified electors of the district the question 
 whether or not a special assessment shall be levied for the 
 purpose of raising money to be applied to any of the pur- 
 poses provided in this act. Such election shall be called and 
 the same shall be held and the result thereof determined and 
 declared in all respects in conformity with the provisions of 
 this act in respect to bond elections. The notice shall specify 
 the amount of money proposed to be raised and the purpose 
 for which it is intended to be used, and whether an equal 
 rate of assessment or a special apportionment of benefits 
 is to be made in that relation if either is proposed. At 
 such election the ballots shall contain the words "Assessment 
 Yes." or "Assessment No." If two-thirds or more of the 
 votes cast are "Assessment Yes/' the board shall immedi- 
 ately proceed to apportion the benefits, if such apportionment 
 is to be made, and to levy an assessment sufficient to raise the 
 amount voted. The assessment so levied shall be entered in 
 the assessment book or books by the secretary of the board 
 and collected in the same manner as other assessments pro- 
 vided for herein and when received by the treasurer of the 
 district shall be deposited and kept in the construction fund. 
 At such an election there may be submitted the proposition 
 of authorizing the board of directors to levy each year for a 
 stated number of years assessments not exceeding a stated 
 amount per acre for the purpose of providing a fund from 
 which repairs may be made and replacement and extensions 
 of existing works may be constructed and paid for as the 
 necessity for same arises. In such case plans and specifica- 
 tions need not be made in advance a general description of 
 the contemplated undertaking shall be sufficient. If said 
 proposition be carried by two-thirds of the electors the board 
 shall be authorized to levy such assessment and same shall be 
 collected as are other assessments under this act. Moneys 
 realized from such assessments shall be deposited and kept in 
 the general fund and disbursed by the treasurer in accord 
 with the direction of the board or rules and regulations estab- 
 lished by it. 
 
 SKC. 49. Any one of the several divisions of a district may 
 provide for the construction of local drains, laterals or other 
 
24 
 
 improvements, or the replacement or extension of existing 1 
 works or structures, the benefits of which are limited to such 
 division, in the following manner: Upon presentation to 
 the board of directors of the district of a petition, signed by 
 a majority of the electors of such division representing at 
 least one-half of the total acreage thereof, describing in a 
 general way the local matters proposed to be undertaken 
 and naming two electors of such division for local directors 
 thereof, the board of directors of the district shall consider 
 such petition at a regular meeting and if it finds that the law 
 has been complied with shall approve the same and appoint 
 the electors named in the petition as members of the local 
 board. One shall hold office until his successor is elected at 
 the next biennial district election and qualifies, and the other 
 until his successor is elected at the second biennial district 
 election after his appointment and qualifies. The terms of 
 such local directors shall be determined by lot and their 
 successors shall be elected for four-year terms at the biennial 
 elections. The said two local directors, with the director of 
 the district from that division, shall constitute the local board 
 of such division, and such board may provide for the local 
 undertakings above named ; being hereby authorized for that 
 purpose in so far as applicable to exercise the powers and 
 perform the duties granted to or imposed upon the board of 
 directors of the district in connection with its affairs. Such 
 local board shall thereupon prepare plans and estimates of 
 the local undertakings proposed to be accomplished by such 
 division, stating therein whether the funds therefor are to be 
 raised by a single special assessment or the said board is to 
 be authorized to secure the necessary amounts by way of 
 annual assessments extending over a stated number of years, 
 and not in excess of a stated amount per acre; and if the 
 latter method is to be used a general statement of the pur- 
 poses for which the money is to be raised may be substituted 
 for more explicit plans and estimates. Such plans and esti- 
 mates or statement shall be filed with the secretary of the 
 district, accompanied by a request of the local board that an 
 election be called in the division to authorize the proposed 
 special assessment or assessments and the construction of the 
 proposed works; thereupon the secretary of the board shall 
 give notice of the purpose, time and place of such election, 
 naming the polling place, and inspectors and clerks of elec- 
 tion suggested by the local board ; such notice to be published 
 and election to be held, as near as may be, as provided in this 
 act for an election for special assessments in the district. If 
 such election fail of the required two-thirds vote of the elec- 
 tors of the division, the terms of office of the local directors 
 shall thereupon terminate and the said local board shall be 
 dissolved. If the special assessment or assessments and con- 
 struction of the proposed works be authorized at such elec- 
 tion, the local board shall levy such assessments, or, as tin 1 
 case may be, shall proceed to the levying of annual assess- 
 ments, and a list of such assessments or the first annual 
 
25 
 
 assessment, if to be made that year, shall be delivered to 
 the treasurer of the district and by him entered in the assess- 
 ment book or books thereof, and such assessment or assess- 
 ments and the collection thereof shall thereafter take the 
 course of assessments of the district as in this act provided. 
 All of the above-described proceedings relating to the local 
 undertakings of a division, including apportionment of bene- 
 fits for undertakings authorized by special election, may be 
 confirmed in court as a part of the confirmation proceedings, 
 or upon petition of the board of directors of the division. 
 Karh member of the local board of a division shall receive 
 three dollars per day for each day in attending meetings of 
 the board, or while engaged in official business under the 
 order of the board. When the local undertakings above pro- 
 vided for are accomplished and paid for, a showing to that 
 effect shall be made to the board of directors of the district, 
 and upon the approval thereof by such board the terms of 
 office of the local directors shall terminate, and any moneys 
 of such division in the district treasury shall be appropriately 
 credited to the lands of the division in connection with future 
 assessments against such lands. 
 
 SEC. 50. At least as often as once a year after the approval 
 of said plans the board of directors shall make a report to 
 the state engineer of the progress of the work of the district 
 and whether or not the plan formulated under the provisions 
 of this act is being successfully carried out, and whether or 
 not in the opinion of the board the funds available will com- 
 plete the proposed works. Upon receipt of such report by 
 the state engineer, he shall make such suggestions and recom- 
 mendations to such board of directors as may be necessary 
 to conserve the best interests of the district. 
 
 SEC. 51. On or before the first Tuesday of February of 
 each year the board of directors of each irrigation district 
 shall publish in at least one issue of some newspaper pub- 
 lished in the county where the office of the district is located 
 a full, true, and correct statement of the financial condition 
 of said district on the first day of that year, giving a state- 
 ment of all liabilities and assets of the district. 
 
 SEC. 52. The board of directors of each irrigation district, 
 or the secretary thereof, shall at any time allow any member 
 of the board of county commissioners, when acting under 
 the order of such board, to have access to all books, records, 
 and vouchers of the district which are in the possession or 
 control of said board of directors or said secretary. 
 
 SEC. 53. Water may be supplied by the district, or by a 
 division thereof when a local board of such division is created 
 and authorized, to towns within or in the vicinity of the dis- 
 trict, and an appropriate charge made therefor, when such 
 supply can be developed as an incident of or in connection 
 with the works of the district or the local undertakings of a 
 division. 
 
 SEC. 54. In addition to the powers with which irrigation 
 districts are or may be vested under the laws of the state, 
 
, 26 
 
 irrigation districts shall have the following powers : To 
 cooperate and contract with the United States under the 
 federal reclamation act of June 17, 1902, and all acts amenda- 
 tory thereof or supplemental thereto, or any other act of 
 Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted authorizing or per- 
 mitting such cooperation, and to cooperate and contract with 
 the State of Nevada under any law heretofore or hereafter 
 enacted authorizing or permitting such cooperation, for pur- 
 poses of construction of works, whether for irrigation or 
 drainage, or both, or for the acquisition, purchase, extension, 
 operation, or maintenance of constructed works, or for a 
 water supply, or for the assumption as principal or guaran- 
 tor of indebtedness to the United States on account of dis- 
 trict lands or for the collection of moneys due the United 
 States as fiscal agents or otherwise. 
 
 SEC. 55. The board of directors shall generally perform 
 all such acts as shall be necessary to carry out the enlarged 
 powers in the foregoing section enumerated. Said board may 
 enter into obligations or contracts with the United States for 
 the aforesaid purposes, and may provide therein for the deliv- 
 ery and distribution of water to the lands of such district 
 under the aforesaid acts of Congress and the rules and regu- 
 lations established thereunder. The contract may provide for 
 the conveyance to the United States as partial consideration 
 for the privileges obtained by the district under said contract 
 of water rights or other property of the district ; and in 
 case contract has been or may hereafter be made with the 
 United States as herein provided bonds of the district may 
 be transferred to or deposited with the United States, if so 
 provided by said contract and authorized as hereinafter set 
 forth, at not less than ninety-five per cent of their par value 
 to the amount to be paid by the district to the United States 
 or any part thereof; the interest, or principal, or both, of 
 said bonds to be raised by assessment and levy as hereinafter 
 prescribed and to be regularly paid to the United States and 
 applied as provided in said contract. Bonds transferred to 
 or deposited with the United States may call for the payment 
 of such interest, not exceeding six per cent per annum, 
 may be of such denomination, and may call for the repay- 
 ment of the principal at such times as may be agreed upon 
 between the board and the secretary of the interior. The con- 
 tract with the United States may likewise call for the pay- 
 ment of the amount or amounts to be paid by the district 
 to the United States or any part thereof at such times and 
 in such installments and with such interest charges not 
 exceeding the aforesaid rate as may be agreed upon, and 
 for assessment and levy therefor as hereinafter provided, 
 and the obligations of such contracts shall be a prior lien to 
 any subsequent bond issue. Moreover the board may accept 
 on behalf of the district appointment of the district as fiscal 
 agent of the United States, or authorization of the district 
 by the United States to make collection of moneys for or 011 
 behalf of the United States in connection with any federal 
 
27 
 
 reclamation project, whereupon the district shall he author- 
 ized so to act and to assume the duties and liahilities incident 
 to such action, and the said board shall have full power to 
 do any and all things required by the federal statutes now 
 or hereafter enacted in connection therewith, and all things 
 required by the rules and regulations now or that may here- 
 after be established by any department of the federal govern- 
 ment in regard thereto. Districts cooperating with the 
 United States may rent or lease water to private lauds, 
 entrymen, or municipalities in the neighborhood of the dis- 
 trict in pursuance of contract with the United States. 
 
 SEC. 56. Any proposal to enter into a contract with the 
 United States for the repayment of construction moneys, the 
 cost of a water supply, the operation and maintenance of 
 existing works, or the acquisition of property, and to issue 
 bonds if any be proposed, shall be voted upon at an election 
 wherein proceedings shall be had in so far as applicable in 
 the manner provided in the case of the ordinary issuance of 
 district bonds. Notice of the election herein provided for 
 shall contain, in addition to the information required in the 
 case of ordinary bond election, a statement of the maximum 
 amount of money to be payable to the United States for con- 
 struction purposes, costs of water supply and acquisition of 
 property, exclusive of penalties and interest, together with a 
 general statement of the property, if any, to be conveyed by 
 the district as hereinabove provided. The ballots at such elec- 
 tion shall contain a brief statement of the general purpose of 
 said contract and the amount of the obligation to be assumed, 
 as aforesaid, with the words "Contract Yes," and "Contract 
 No," or "Contract and bonds Yes," and "Contract and 
 bonds No," as the case may be. The board of directors may 
 submit any such contract or proposed contract and bond 
 issue, if any, to the district court of the county wherein is 
 located the office of said board to determine the validity 
 thereof and the authority of the board to enter into such 
 contract, and the authority for and the validity of the issu- 
 ance and deposit or transfer of said bonds ; whereupon the 
 same proceedings shall be had as in the ordinary case of the 
 judicial determination of the validity of the bonds with like 
 effect. 
 
 SEC. 57. All water delivered to the district or the right 
 to the use of which is acquired by the district, under any 
 contract with the United States, shall be distributed and 
 apportioned by the district in accordance with the acts of 
 Congress applicable thereto, the rules and regulations of the 
 secretary of the interior thereunder, and the provisions of 
 said contract, and provision may be made in the contract 
 between the district and the United States for the refusal 
 of water service to any or all lands which may become 
 delinquent in the payment of any assessment, toll or charge 
 levied or imposed for the purpose of carrying out any con- 
 tract between the district and the United States. In case of 
 contract with the United States under which the district 
 
28 
 
 assumes the operation and maintenance of the existing works, 
 assessments, tolls and charges may be levied or imposed by 
 the board of directors, as provided in this act to raise the 
 sums required annually therefor, including amounts due 
 the United States under said contract. 
 
 SEC. 58. Any rights of way or other property owned or 
 acquired by the district may be conveyed by the board to 
 the United States in so far as the same may be needed for 
 the construction, operation and maintenance of works by the 
 United States pursuant to this act. 
 
 SEC. 59. All payments due or to become due to the United 
 States under any contract between the district and the 
 United States, including such payments of interest and 
 principal on bonds as may be required in connection with 
 a deposit or transfer thereof to the United States, shall be 
 paid, unless otherwise provided by contract, by revenue 
 derived from annual assessments, apportioned as herein- 
 after prescribed, and levies thereof upon such real property 
 within the district as may be accessible for district purposes 
 under the laws of the state or by tolls and charges as the 
 case may be, and such real property shall be and remain 
 liable to be assessed and levied upon for such payments as 
 herein provided. It shall be the duty of the board of direc- 
 tors annually to levy an assessment, or to impose and cause 
 to be collected tolls or charges sufficient to raise the money 
 necessary to meet all payments when due as provided in the 
 contract. All moneys collected in pursuance of such con- 
 tract by assessment and levies or otherwise, and to be paid to 
 the United States, shall be paid into the district treasury 
 and held in a fund to be known as the "United States Con- 
 tract Fund," to be used for payments due to the United 
 States under any such contract. Public lands of the United 
 States within any district shall be subject to assessment 
 for all purposes of this act to the extent provided for by the 
 act of Congress approved August 11, 1916, entitled "An act 
 to promote reclamation of arid lands," or any other law 
 which may hereafter be enacted by Congress in the same rela- 
 tion, upon full compliance therewith by the district. Noth- 
 ing in this act contained shall be construed to relieve the 
 district from obligation to pay as a district in case of default 
 of any land, unless so provided by the said contract between 
 the district and the United States. 
 
 SEC. 60. The board may also provide by contract with the 
 United States for the release of mortgages or liens given or 
 reserved to the United States upon district lands, and may 
 provide for the assumption by the district, either as princi- 
 pal or guarantor, of indebtedness to the United States on 
 account of district lands, and apportion to each tract of land 
 so released, benefits in the amount of the obligations to the 
 United States so provided to be released; and the contract 
 between the district and the United States may provide for 
 the collection and payment of indebtedness so incurred or 
 assumed by the district and the tax or assessment for the 
 
00 
 
 ~* . ' 
 
 same at the same times mid in the same amounts or install- 
 ments provided in the federal reclamation laws, and if so pro- 
 vided in the contract, sneh taxes and assessments shall 
 become delinquent at the same dates provided in the act of 
 Congress of August 13, 1914 (38 Stats. 686), known as the 
 reclamation extension act, and in that event, if it be provided 
 in the contract that the United States waives any penalties 
 for delinquency other or greater than those named in the 
 said act of Congress of August 13, 1914, then, instead of the 
 penalties otherwise provided in state laws, the penalties for 
 delinquency in the payment of that part of the tax repre- 
 senting the special assessment for payment of the obligations 
 of the district to the United States shall be the penalties 
 named in the said act of Congress of August 13, 1914, and 
 the amount required to be paid in case of any redemption 
 from any tax sale or tax judgment shall be determined by 
 figuring the part thereof due to the United States upon the 
 basis of the amount of such special assessment levied for the 
 purpose of paying the United States plus the penalties 
 named in said act of Congress of August 13, 1914. And the 
 said board shall have full power to do any and all things 
 required by the federal statutes now or hereafter enacted in 
 connection therewith, and all things required by the rules 
 and regulations now or that may hereafter be established by 
 any department of the federal government in regard thereto. 
 
 SEC. 61. The assessment required in any year to meet the 
 payment due to the United States under the contract as in 
 this act provided may be in accord with an apportionment 
 of benefits made in or in pursuance of such contract and in 
 the ascertainment of such benefits there shall be taken into 
 account the provisions of the contract between the United 
 States and the district, the federal laws applicable thereto, 
 and the notice and regulations issued in pursuance of said 
 laws, and in case such contract is for the assumption by the 
 district as principal or guarantor of indebtedness to the 
 United States theretofore existing on account of district 
 lands, there shall be further taken into account the provision 
 of existing contracts carrying such indebtedness and the 
 amounts of such liens as may be released in pursuance of 
 the contract between the United States and the district. 
 
 SEC. 62. Where contract shall have been entered into and 
 is in force and effect between the United States and any 
 irrigation district the district shall not be dissolved, nor shall 
 the boundaries be changed, except upon written consent of the 
 secretary of the interior, filed with the official records of 
 the district. If such consent be given and lands be excluded, 
 the areas excluded shall be free from all liens and charges for 
 payments to become due to the United States. The board of 
 directors of a district is hereby relieved from the duties 
 imposed upon it in sections 15 and 30 of this act in so far as 
 the same may not be required in case of contract between the 
 district and the United States, and in that relation mav take 
 
30 
 
 advantage of or adopt such surveys and plans as may have 
 been or be made by the United States. 
 
 SEC. 63. When an irrigation district comprises lands 
 which are served by works constructed by the United States 
 and the portion of such works situated in a division of the 
 district may be regarded as a separate unit of the larger 
 system for operation and maintenance purposes, or when 
 local drains, laterals, or other improvements may be provided 
 as additions to such works and constitute benefits limited to 
 such division, or when the replacement or extension of such 
 works or some part thereof would constitute benefits limited 
 to such division, a petition signed by the requisite number 
 of electors of such division may be presented to the board of 
 directors of the district and a local board of directors of such 
 division created as provided in this act; whereupon such 
 board of directors shall have the power to contract with the 
 United States for the operation of the existing system afore- 
 said, or for the construction either .by such division or by 
 the United States of local drains, laterals or other improve- 
 ments and for the operation and maintenance thereof, or 
 for the replacement or extension of existing works or struc- 
 tures and for the operation and maintenance thereof or any 
 separate part of the same ; provided, that such contract shall 
 first be authorized by a special election held for the purpose 
 in such division and for the purpose of authorizing the local 
 board of directors to levy an assessment or assessments, as 
 provided in this act, to secure the moneys required to carry 
 out said contract, including the amounts that will be due 
 the United States thereunder and that will be required for 
 the construction of the proposed local drains, laterals, or 
 other improvements, or for the replacement and extension 
 of existing works or structures. Where it is proposed that a 
 division shall assume only the operation and maintenance of 
 existing works an election shall be held upon the contract in 
 the same manner, but the local board of directors, after said 
 contract is made in pursuance of the authority granted in 
 such election, shall have the power to levy assessments or 
 impose tolls and charges annually or otherwise to raise the 
 amounts necessary to carry out said contract and to operate 
 and maintain said works, including amounts to be paid to 
 the United States under said contract, in the same manner 
 and to the same effect as can be done by the board of direc- 
 tors of the district under the provisions of this act. Where 
 local drains, laterals or improvements are to be constructed, 
 or existing works or structures replaced or extended, and 
 are thereafter to be operated and maintained by the division, 
 the local board shall have similar power to levy assessments 
 and to impose tolls or charges to raise the money required 
 for such operation and maintenance, including amounts due 
 the United States in that relation. The works described 
 in the contract with the United States shall be constructed, 
 replaced or extended by such local board of directors, and 
 the money raised by such special assessment therefor or for 
 
31 
 
 the operation and maintenance tin-roof shall be collected, 
 kept and disbursed, and the apportionment of benefits made, 
 as in this act provided when a division of the district is 
 authorized to provide for local undertakings, the benefits 
 of which are limited to such division; provided, that the pro- 
 visions of this act relating to cooperation between a district 
 and the United States, including those relating to the dis- 
 tribution and apportionment of water and the apportionment 
 of benefits, shall apply in case of contract between the United 
 States and a division of a district in so far as applicable. The 
 ex cent ion of such contract with the United States and all pro- 
 ceedings ancillary thereto may be confirmed in court as a part 
 of the confirmation proceedings instituted by the district, or 
 upon petition by the board of directors of the division. 
 
 SEC. 64. When an irrigation district comprises lands 
 which are or may be served by works constructed by the 
 United States, and a contract is proposed to be entered into 
 with the United States for the operation and maintenance by 
 the district of the existing works, or for the construction of 
 a drainage system or other extension or improvement of such 
 works, and the lands in a division of the district may be 
 regarded as clearly outside the scope of such contract, the 
 election thereon and for the authorization of the program or 
 undertaking contemplated thereby may be confined to the 
 remaining portion of the district exclusive of such division, 
 and the apportionment of the benefits may be made accord- 
 ingly ; otherwise the proceedings in connection with such 
 contract and the program or undertaking contemplated 
 thereby shall be as heretofore provided in this act. 
 
 SEC. 65. In any case where an irrigation district is 
 appointed fiscal agent of the United States in connection 
 with any federal reclamation project, or by the United 
 States, or under contract therewith, is authorized or required 
 to make collection of moneys on behalf of the United States, 
 or for payments due the United States under any such con- 
 tract, each director of the district, and the secretary and the 
 treasurer thereof, shall execute a further and additional 
 bond in such sum as the secretary of the interior may 
 require, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties 
 of his office, or as fiscal or other agent of the United States, 
 or both ; and any such bonds may be sued upon by the 
 United States or any person injured by the failure of such 
 officer or officers of the district to fully, promptly or com- 
 pletely perform their respective duties. This requirement 
 shall apply to the directors of a division, and in so far as 
 applicable to the officers of a district acting in that relation, 
 in case of contract between the United States and such 
 division. In all cases of contracts with the United States as 
 above described the board of directors of the district, or of 
 a division thereof, and the secretary and treasurer of a dis- 
 trict, shall at any time allow any officer or employee of the 
 United States, when acting under the order of the secretary 
 of the interior, to have access to all books, records and docu- 
 
32 
 
 ments which are in the possession or control of such officer A 
 
 SEC. 66. Whenever in this act any notice is required to 
 be given by publication, such provision shall be satisfied by 
 publishing the same in a weekly newspaper the same num- 
 ber of times consecutively as the number of weeks mentioned 
 in the requirement. 
 
 SEC. 67. Whenever the words "irrigation district," or 
 "district" are used in this act, they shall be held to mean any 
 irrigation district heretofore organized under the laws of the 
 state as well as under this act, to the full extent required to 
 accomplish the purposes of this act ; and whenever the words 
 "county treasurer" or "treasurer of the county" are used in 
 this act, they shall as Avell be held to mean "ex officio tax 
 receiver" or "tax receiver" of the county. 
 
 SEC. 68. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to 
 affect the validity of any district heretofore organized under 
 the laws of this state, or its rigjits in or to property, or any of 
 its rights or privileges of whatsoever kind or nature; but 
 said districts are hereby made subject to the provisions of 
 this act as far as applicable; nor shall it affect, impair, or 
 discharge any contract, obligation, lien or charge for, or 
 upon which it was or might become liable or chargeable had 
 not this act been passed; nor shall it affect the validity of 
 any bonds which have been issued but not sold, nor shall it 
 affect any action which now may be pending. In such dis- 
 tricts as have been heretofore organized, and in which direc- 
 tors of the various divisions thereof have been elected by 
 the votes of the electors of the district at large, such elections 
 are hereby confirmed. 
 
 SEC. 69. Nothing in this act shall be construed as repeal- 
 ing or in any wise modifying the provisions of any other act 
 relating to the subject of irrigation or drainage except such 
 as may be contained in the act entitled "An act to provide 
 for the organization and government of drainage, irrigation 
 and water storage districts, to provide for the acquisition of 
 water and other property, and for the distribution of the 
 water thereby for irrigation purposes, and for other matters 
 properly connected therewith," approved March 20, 1911, 
 and subsequent acts supplementary thereto or amendatory 
 thereof, all of which acts, so far as they may be inconsistent 
 herewith, are hereby repealed. 
 
 SEC. 70. This act may be referred to in any action, pro- 
 ceeding or legislative enactment as "The Nevada Irrigation 
 District Act," and whenever the words "irrigation district" 
 are or have been used in any action or proceeding or in any 
 act or resolution of the legislature such words shall be con- 
 strued to mean an irrigation district organized under the 
 provisions of the act approved March 20, 1911, or acts sup- 
 plementary thereto or amendatory thereof, referred to in 
 the preceding section, or an irrigation district organized or 
 existing under this act.