Dowsing, divining, or water-witching has been around for centuries.

Essentially, it is the belief that in the right hands, a forked-stick, an L-shaped metal rod, a pendulum, or crystals can locate underground water. Although dowsers have never been able to prove their effectiveness in controlled, double-blind experiments, many people rely on dowsers to help them find water.

Kim Scharfenberg is a local “water witch” who lives in Virginia City Highlands. She took up dowsing about eight years ago. She says in 400 to 500 attempts she “has never missed, always found water.” She can’t explain her ability or account for it in any way consistent with science.

“It’s freaky and it’s super-cool,” she says, “it’s just a really neat phenomenon.”

Scharfenberg, whose personality can be described as appropriately bubbly, likes to dowse or “witch” to help people. She utilizes two copper rods or sticks in her dowsing work. When the sticks cross, she says, you’ve hit water, mister.

One is led to wonder why with a gaudy 100 percent rate of success she doesn’t make dowsing a full-time business.

“Witching is really kind of an art,” she says. “To make a business-type thing wouldmake it lose some of the magic for me.”

Harry Lawler is a practicing dowser who lives in Carson City. He’s been dowsing for about 20 years. He’s not angry about the skepticism of academic science or the doubtful in general. He doesn’t feel the need to defend dowsing as the results, in his mind, speak for themselves. Lawler believes the ability to dowse is an innate talent most people just need to awaken. He’s even taught courses in dowsing.

“Most people can learn to dowse in about 20 minutes,” Lawler says.

Lawler says he cannot only locate water, but also can tell how far down it is, and whether it’s hot or cold. Lawler eschews the traditional “witching stick,” a forked branch that old-time dowsers used.

Lawler is a water-only dowser, but according to the American Society of Dowsers, dowsing can be used to locate “lost objects, lost persons, minerals, electro-magnetic fields, noxious rays, and geopathic zones.”

Local drilling companies will refer people to dowsers, but not one well-drilling outfit in the area touts dowsing among its services. Carlye Benton of Reno-based Aqua Drilling puts it this way “our position is strictly neutral. We don’t get in the middle. We put people in touch with a dowser if they want to engage one, but we’re not responsible for what the dowser finds or doesn’t find. Some people just want a dowser to help give them peace of mind. But we don’t make any guarantees.”

Dr. Scott Tyler is a scientist and a professor in the graduate program of hydrogeology at University of Nevada, Reno — one of the most respected and highly ranked programs of its kind in the nation. One would think he would be completely dismissive of dowsing, and he admits most of his colleagues regard it as hokum harmless. While dubious about dowsing, Tyler also is philosophical: “I am always open to the possibility that there are ways the mind works that can’t be accounted for or always explained fully.”

Tyler can even give credit to dowsers when they’re able to “consciously or unconsciously” see the geological formations on a piece of ground that can indicate where water might be. Tyler believes most dowsers sincerely believe in their ability, and are not out to con anyone. They truly believe that they have a gift and they want to put it to use for a good purpose, he says.

“But,” he asks, “is finding water about two sticks coming together? I’m afraid not.”

Ron Cooney, a Sparks resident, is generally considered to be the best writer in his cul-de-sac.