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H.B. 153

             1     

DIVERSION OF WATER

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Joel K. Briscoe

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Ralph Okerlund

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill allows the state engineer to reinstate a lapsed exchange application under
             10      certain conditions.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    allows the state engineer to reinstate a lapsed exchange application for a small
             14      amount of water under certain conditions;
             15          .    establishes the date of priority for a reinstated exchange application; and
             16          .    makes technical changes.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          None
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      AMENDS:
             23          73-3-20, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1985, Chapter 140
             24     
             25      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             26          Section 1. Section 73-3-20 is amended to read:
             27           73-3-20. Right to divert appropriated waters into natural streams --


             28      Requirements -- Storage in reservoir -- Information required by state engineer -- Lapse
             29      of application.
             30          (1) Upon application in writing and approval of the state engineer, any appropriated
             31      water may, for the purpose of preventing waste and facilitating distribution, be turned from the
             32      channel of any stream or any lake or other body of water, into the channel of any natural stream
             33      or natural body of water or into a reservoir constructed across the bed of any natural stream,
             34      and commingled with its waters, and a like quantity less the quantity lost by evaporation and
             35      seepage may be taken out, either above or below the point where emptied into the stream, body
             36      of water or reservoir. In so doing, the original water in such stream, body of water, or reservoir
             37      must not be deteriorated in quality or diminished in quantity for the purpose used, and the
             38      additional water turned in shall bear its share of the expense of maintenance of such reservoir
             39      and an equitable proportion of the cost of the reservoir site and its construction. Any person
             40      having stored [his] that person's appropriated water in a reservoir for a beneficial purpose shall
             41      be permitted to withdraw the water at the times and in the quantities as [his] the person's
             42      necessities may require if the withdrawal does not interfere with the rights of others.
             43          (2) (a) The state engineer may require [the] an owner [of record] of an approved
             44      exchange application to provide [information concerning]:
             45          (i) information about the diverting works constructed[,];
             46          (ii) information about the extent to which the development under the exchange has
             47      occurred[, and]; or
             48          (iii) other information the state engineer considers necessary to [insure]:
             49          (A) ensure that the exchange is taking place[, to];
             50          (B) establish that the owner [of the exchange] still has a legal interest in the underlying
             51      water right used as the basis for the exchange[,]; or [to arrive at]
             52          (C) determine the quantity of water being exchanged. [This information shall be
             53      provided by the owner of record of an approved exchange within 60 days of notification by the
             54      state engineer.]
             55          (b) The owner of an exchange application shall provide the information requested by
             56      the state engineer within 60 days after the day on which the owner received the notification
             57      from the state engineer.
             58          (3) The state engineer may lapse an approved exchange application [made pursuant to


             59      this section under the following conditions] described in Subsection (1) if:
             60          (a) the applicant has lost a legal interest in the underlying right used to facilitate the
             61      exchange;
             62          (b) the exchange can no longer be carried out as stated in the application;
             63          (c) the applicant has not complied with the conditions established in approving the
             64      exchange; or
             65          (d) the applicant fails to provide the information [as outlined in Subsection
             66      73-3-20 (2).] requested by the state engineer under Subsection (2).
             67          (4) (a) Notwithstanding Section 73-3-18 , the state engineer may reinstate an exchange
             68      application that was lapsed by the state engineer under Subsection (3), if:
             69          (i) the applicant files with the state engineer a written request to reinstate the exchange
             70      application;
             71          (ii) the exchange application is for a small amount of water, as defined in Section
             72      73-3-5.6 ;
             73          (iii) the applicant demonstrates that, before the exchange application lapsed, the
             74      applicant or the applicant's predecessor in interest, in accordance with the exchange
             75      application:
             76          (A) constructed and occupied a residence; and
             77          (B) beneficially used the water at the residence; and
             78          (iv) the applicant demonstrates that none of the conditions described in Subsection (3)
             79      for lapsing an approved exchange application still exist.
             80          (b) Notwithstanding Section 73-3-18 , the priority of an exchange application reinstated
             81      under this section shall be the day on which the applicant files a request to reinstate an
             82      exchange application that was lapsed by the state engineer.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-6-12 4:33 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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