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need for the proposed rules, the rulemaking process and water court venue, and a detailed walk- <br /> through of the draft Rules with particular focus on any changes made. <br /> Virtual meetings via Zoom were offered to provide a venue given ongoing COVID-19 <br /> concerns, to accommodate more schedules, and to solicit wider input from the public to provide <br /> feedback. <br /> IV. Overview of the Rules and Mechanisms for Compliance <br /> Rules 1 and 2: Title and Authority <br /> Rules 1 and 2 state the title and statutory authority for the Rules, which are discussed in <br /> Sections I and II, above. <br /> Rule 3: Scope and Purpose <br /> Rule 3.1: Scope <br /> Rule 3.1 defines the scope of the Rules and cites specific exceptions to which the Rules <br /> do not apply. The Rules apply to all surface water and groundwater Diversions and storage of <br /> water, unless a particular Diversion is specifically listed as an exception in the Rules. A <br /> Diversion means removing water from its natural course or location, or controlling water in its <br /> natural course or location, by means of a control structure, ditch, canal, flume, reservoir, bypass, <br /> pipeline, conduit, well, pump, or other structure. For purposes of the Rules, the definition of a <br /> Diversion does not include instream flow water rights and such rights do not fall within the scope <br /> of the Rules. <br /> Importantly, nothing in these Rules exempts Water Users from the requirements of any <br /> other laws, rules, or water court decrees governing the use, diversion, and administration of <br /> surface water and groundwater in Water Division 6. <br /> The exceptions to the Rules along with the bases for the exceptions are as follows: <br /> (1) Pei'tithed or unregistered wells that operate pursuant to the provisions of section 37- <br /> 92-602(1), C.R.S. Such wells are either issued under a finding of no injury, or are presumed by <br /> state statute to not cause material injury to the vested water rights of others and are exempt from <br /> administration under the prior appropriation system. For the purpose of determining the amount <br /> of diversion, the limited nature of these uses constitute one frequently-sufficient basis to develop <br /> an accurate estimate of the diverted amount. The State and Division Engineers retain their <br /> discretion to order measurement of such wells on a case-by-case basis, as reasonably necessary, <br /> outside of the requirements of these Rules. <br /> (2)Ponds used for the limited purposes of livestock watering, wildlife watering, fire <br /> protection, or any combination thereof that do not intercept groundwater and are not filled by a <br /> Diversion from a stream. The majority of the ponds that fall within this category are located on <br /> ephemeral, no!orally dry streams, or capture only surface runoff. Furthermore, these ponds are <br /> 3 <br />