BOARD00534

• Board Meeting Date: 1/12/1998
• Description: 1998 Legislative Issues - Amendments to the Ground Water Management Act of 1965
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

.

.

.

>

Second RegularBession

Sixty-first General Assembly
LLS NO. 98-0497.01 BWM
STATE of C01.0R~DO

HOUSE BILL 98- I I 5 I
Agriculture. Livestock
& Natural Resources

~s

BY REPRESENTATIVEs Young and Eritz;
also SENATOR Ament.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

101 CONCERNING ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE REGULATION

102 OF GROUND WATER, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, MAKING AN
103 APPROPRIATION.

Bill Summary

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
adopted)

Requires that all well permit fees be deposited into the division of
water resources ground water management cash fund.
Adds a defInition of "replacement plan" to the statutes related to
designated ground water basins.
Increases the per diem amounts payable to ground water
commission members from S25 to $50 per day and the total annual limit
from $1200 to $2400. Permits the conunission to delegate to the
executive director of the conunission the authority to establish the priority
dates of ground v.rater claims.
With respect to small capacity wells: Allows such wells for
fire-fighting purposes; authorizes the state engineer to promulgate rules;
limits new permits to an annual use of 5.0 acre-feet; adds cumulative
effect criteria for subdivision water supply plans similar to that for such
uses outside of designated ground \vater basins; specifies that permits
expire in 2 years unless extended: makes technical changes to language
for late registration of existing wells in use prior to May 8, 1972, to move
such language to a more appropriate location in the statutes; enacts a
grandfather provision to grant new permits for wells in use in a feedlot
prior to January I, 1996, based upon evidence of use from such wells;
clarifIes that the appeal of the state engineer's decision to grant or deny
a permit goes to the district court in the county where the well is located
and not to the !)enver district court.

Capiltll letters imJicute /Jew IIIuteriuL 10 be added 10 t:..'l:i'iling SICllllle.
DasJw.s tltrollg/r lire wonl.. ;mlict/le tleleti(JII.'i from e...\:i"lill~ Sitllllle.