Explanations for the 2017 Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Clues

Clue No. 1
While celebrating Nevada’s
Arts and entertainment
Don’t forget that a medallion
May be a great attainment

Explanation: This is an introductory clue to the 2017 Nevada Day Treasure Hunt referencing the Nevada Day Parade’s theme: “Nevada’s Arts and Entertainment.” 

Clue No. 2 
This castanet serpent
You should avoid discovering
Commonly located
Within this year’s covering.

Explanation: Rattlesnakes are part of the Crotalus and Sistrurus genus.  Crotalus is derived from the Greek word meaning castanet.  Rattlesnakes are located in various locations in Nevada and this clue narrows the search area to locations where rattlesnakes are commonly found.  This includes the Santa Maria Aquatic Park in Dayton, Nevada where the medallion is hidden.  Additionally, Santa Maria Aquatic Park has several signs posted warning park users to watch out for rattlesnakes.

Clue No. 3 
America’s main street
Paved the way
Honoring Fisher’s hero
From the apple to the bay.

Explanation: Carl G. Fisher conceived and dedicated the Lincoln Highway in 1913, named after his hero President Abraham Lincoln.  The Lincoln Highway stretched from Times Square in New York City, often referred to as the big apple, to the San Francisco bay.  As one of the earliest transcontinental highways in the United States it was often referred to as the Main Street Across America.  This clue tells hunters to look near the route of the Lincoln Highway in Nevada, which could be either Highway 50 or Interstate 80 in different areas throughout the state.) 

Clue No. 4 
Requiring an update
Each and every year
The fourth of the fourth
Provides your frontier.

Explanation: This clue tells hunters the medallion is hidden in Lyon County.  The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt’s Official Rules and Regulations are updated annually and all hunters must comply with each rule to be eligible to claim the $1,000 prize.  The fourth listed county within the fourth paragraph of this year’s rules is Lyon County. 

Clue  No. 5 
Of these important five
To three we have referred
Zip fourth to nothing
To avoid coming in third.

Explanation: The five digit zip code for the entire search area of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt begins with “89.” Thus, the only numbers within the zip code that will tell a hunter where the medallion is hidden are the final three digits.  This clue tells hunters that the medallion is hidden within the zip code that has “4”, “0” and “3” as its last three numbers.  The medallion is hidden in Dayton, which has the zip code 89403. 

Clue No. 6 
This decree took fifty-five
And with precise calculations
Everyone’s beneficial uses
Are now under regulations.

Explanation:The Alpine Decree is the adjudication of water rights on the Carson River.  The decree took fifty-five years to be issued, making it the longest lawsuit undertaken by the federal government against private parties over water rights. In Nevada, generally to retain the use of one’s water rights, one must make a beneficial use of the water.  This clue points hunters to the Carson River, which runs through the Santa Maria Aquatic Park where the medallion is hidden.