Bartlett Decree Nevada The Bartlett Decree was issued on January 2, 1931 by Judge George A. Bartlett and adjudicated water rights along the Humboldt River and its tributaries. In addition to adjudicating the river system’s water rights, this decree also recognized that the surface waters within the Humboldt River system were already fully appropriated, leaving no surplus water for irrigation during an average, or normal water year. Another important finding of the Bartlett Decree recognized the differences in growing seasons between the Humboldt River’s upper basin and its lower basin and therefore divided the river system into two districts, District No. 1 below Palisade (USGS gaging station 10322500) and District No. 2 above Palisade. The Bartlett Decree also recognized the seasonal and ephemeral nature of many streams within the Humboldt River Basin through the concept of “flash streams” and the special need to accommodate water appropriators along such stream systems. These water courses were defined as streams “that have a sudden or flash flow or flush flow for a comparatively brief period of time, while such stream is draining the particular basin or source of supply fed by melting snows…These flash streams in varying degrees are typical of the necessity of cumulating the flow during the flush for the particular rights to be served. Where lands are entitled to irrigation from such flash streams, they must be served at the times when the water is available.” The Bartlett Decree established three classes of lands with different irrigation requirements (water duties) and irrigation periods (both with respect to the number of days of allowable irrigation and the specific periods of irrigation). These irrigable land classes included: (1) Harvest crop lands (Class A) – all lands devoted to cultivated crops, including irrigated native or other grass lands which normally receive sufficient water to produce a crop which will justify cutting for hay, although it may sometimes be pastured and not cut, (2) Meadow pasture lands (Class B) – all grass lands free from brush which receive sufficient water to produce what may be classed as good pasture, but not sufficient to warrant cutting for hay, and (3) Diversified pasture lands (Class C) – all lands from which the brush has not been cleared but which are artificially irrigated to some extent for the production of grasses for pasturage. Further, the irrigation periods within the Humboldt River system varied by both the class of the land and whether it was in District No. 1 (below Palisade) or District No. 2 (above Palisade). Due to extensive review and corrections of the written findings by Judge Bartlett, the final Bartlett Decree would not be entered until October 20, 1931. The Bartlett Decree was subsequently modified by the Edwards Decree. With respect to adjudication of the Humboldt River, also see Carville Decree.