This article is interesting because it touches on both actions being undertaken by Bartell Ranch LLC, namely the main lawsuit that will be determined in March 2022, and the water rights hearing set for this December. We’ve kept up pretty well with the main lawsuit, but there’s been little recent discussion regarding the water rights issue, so I thought I’d revisit what we know so far. 

There was a water rights prehearing on 14 April 2021. The purpose of the hearing was to set the dates and terms for the actual hearing. While some involved in this pre-hearing (Lithium Nevada and the Nevada Hearing Manager) had anticipated an August 2021 hearing, the Protestants (Bartell Ranch) introduced for the first time the requirement to collect irrigation data from this year’s irrigation season, which runs through October, in order to put forth their case. Apparently this data is not available from past years because there had been no need to collect it. 

Nevada Lithium’s lawyer explained that their client wanted to get on with their major project and reminded everyone that lithium is a critical mineral that is needed now, but the state hearing manager was sympathetic to the Protestants’ position, saying that it’s more important to get it right, than right now.

Ultimately the dates for the hearing were set for 1-10 December 2021 (see link). It will be interesting to see what data from this year’s irrigation season Bartell presents, and how it will be weighed considering it is a short term snapshot in time, compared to the analysis that Piteau Associates have done for Lithium Nevada. 

Nevada rancher cites `shroud of secrecy’ at lithium mine

State of Nevada Division of Water Resources