Training, Hydrology. ect Water Administration Interaction

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DISCUSSION OF RECORDS AND RESEARCH In a discussion of this nature, there must be a review of what has taken place in the past and what records were assembled and how we are managing those records today. We will focus only on researching well records, where they are located and in what format they may be found. Before 1957, the State Engineer's office had no permit system. Permits for wells were required according to an amendment to the drilling contractor's law in 1967, but many permits were not obtianed. Permits for exempt wells are required after May 8, 1972. MAP FILINGS: The early recording of non-exempt wells was done with a map filing. This was a survey showing the actual location of the well (s) on a survey plat. The plats were submitted to the State Engineer' s office and a number was assigned. These numbers range from 1001 to 23509. They are found on aperature cards located in a file cabinet in the Information Services work area. Many of these records are not recorded in the well file and are indexed separatley by name of structure. NON-EXEMPT WELLS: In the early days of numbering, suffixes and prefixes were assigned to these permits and registrations. If the number should mean something, it generally means that you have to actually look at the document to determine if it is exempt or non-exempt. D suffix May mean that the well was decreed. These usually have a use code indicating a non-exempt use and may be found in the less than 15000 permit number range. R through Z suffix refers to registration of non-exempt wells under one number but includes several structures under that number. F suffix Reserved for non-exempt wells. This number series has been in effect for a number of years and is the current series for those wells which may be subject to administration. RF suffix This series indicates that a replacement permit was issued for a non-exempt well . In many instances decrees carry this number rather than the original permit or registration number. The permit book listing the non-exempt (FEE) well replacements indexes the RF number back to the original permit. The process of issuing a new RF number to a replacement well was abandoned July 20, 1972 and ended with RF number 1221 . It is hoped that all of these permits can be referenced back to the original permit /registration number. A typical replacement non-exempt permit number will contain an RF suffix. After the replacement permit is complete, the suffix will be deleted and the permit will revert back to the original number. M suffix This suffix references the monitoring well series. It is the same series as the F sequence and as permits are issued for monitoring purposes the F and M permits are filed numerically without regard to suffix.