That the board of water commissioners be and the same is hereby abolished, and that any and all records of said board shall, when this act becomes effective, be placed for safekeeping into the custody of the state engineer, provided that appeals pending before said board, together with all papers and records of same shall be transferred to the district court of the county wherein the work or point of desired appropriation, referred to in any such pending appeal or appeals, is situated, to be considered and disposed of by such district court as an appeal, as hereinbefore provided for.
NMS § 72-2-11