1. Upon the initiation of the administration of this chapter in any particular basin, and where the investigations of the State Engineer have shown the necessity for the supervision over the waters of that basin, the State Engineer may employ a well supervisor and other necessary assistants, who shall execute the duties as provided in this chapter under the direction of the State Engineer. The salaries of the well supervisor and the assistants of the well supervisor must be fixed by the State Engineer. The well supervisor and assistants are exempt from the provisions of chapter 284 of NRS.

2. If the money available from the license fees provided for in NRS 534.140 is not sufficient to pay those salaries, together with necessary expenses, including the compensation and other expenses of the Well Drillers’ Advisory Board, the board of county commissioners shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, levy a special assessment annually, or at such time as the assessment is needed, upon all taxable property situated within the confines of the area designated by the State Engineer to come under the provisions of this chapter in an amount as is necessary to pay such salaries and expenses. If the board of county commissioners determines that the amount of a special assessment levied upon a property owner pursuant to this section when combined with the amount of all other taxes and assessments levied upon the property owner is less than the cost of collecting the special assessment levied pursuant to this subsection, the board of county commissioners may exempt the property owner from the assessment and appropriate money from the general fund of the county to pay the cost of the assessment.

3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, in designated areas within which the use of groundwater is predominantly for agricultural purposes, any special assessment levied pursuant to this section must be charged against each water user who has a permit to appropriate water or a perfected water right, and the charge against each water user must be based upon the proportion which his or her water right bears to the aggregate water rights in the designated area. The minimum charge is $1.

4. The salaries and expenses may be paid by the State Engineer from the Water Distribution Revolving Account pending the levy and collection of an assessment levied pursuant to this section.

5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, if a special assessment is levied pursuant to this section, the proper officers of the county shall levy and collect the special assessment as other special assessments are levied and collected, and the assessment is a lien upon the property.

6. Any special assessment collected pursuant to this section must be deposited with the State Treasurer for credit to the Water District Account to be accounted for in basin well accounts.

7. Upon determination and certification by the State Engineer of the amount to be budgeted for the current or ensuing fiscal year for the purpose of paying the per diem and travel allowances of the groundwater board and employing consultants or other help needed to fulfill its responsibilities, the State Controller shall transfer that amount to a separate operating account for that fiscal year for the groundwater basin. Claims against the account must be approved by the groundwater board and paid as other claims against the State are paid. The State Engineer may use money in a particular basin well account to support an activity outside the basin in which the money is collected if the activity bears a direct relationship to the responsibilities or activities of the State Engineer regarding the particular groundwater basin.

[5:178:1939; A 1943, 139; 1947, 52; 1953, 188] — (NRS A 1957, 716; 1963, 796; 1967, 1253; 1969, 342; 1979, 668; 1985, 694; 1991, 1784; 1993, 2352; 1995, 222; 2019, 838)