Rule 18 PRETRIAL CONFERENCE. Pretrial

conferences shall be conducted in accordance with and governed by Rule 16, M.R.Civ.P., and Uniform District Court Rule 5, insofar as the same is applicable to procedures in the water courts. Final pretrial conferences shall be the rule rather than the exception. The water court may order such preliminary pretrial conferences as may serve to expedite formulation of issues of law or fact or the course of the litigation.