42-108B. LEASING OF WATER UNDER ESTABLISHED RIGHTS — NOTICE — APPEAL. Any person, entitled to the use of water whether represented by a license issued by the department of water resources, or by decree of the court, who shall desire to lease the water pursuant to section 42-108A, Idaho Code, shall make application to the department of water resources. Such application shall be upon forms furnished by the department and shall describe the right licensed, claimed or decreed which is to be leased. Upon receipt of said application, an application filing fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) and a publication fee of fifty dollars ($50.00), it shall be the duty of the director of the department of water resources to examine same and if otherwise proper, to cause notice of the proposed leasing of water and setting forth the hearing date at which protests will be heard, to be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper published and of general circulation within the county where the water is diverted, if there is such a paper, otherwise in a newspaper of general circulation within the county. Such notice shall advise that anyone who desires to protest the proposed leasing of water and who has a superior right to use the water and who may suffer pecuniary loss shall file notice of protest with the department within five (5) days of the last date of publication. The hearing date set by the director of the department of water resources shall be held not sooner than ten (10) nor later than fifteen (15) days after the last date of publication. Upon receipt of any protest, it shall be the duty of the director of the department of water resources to investigate the same and to conduct a hearing thereon. He shall also advise the watermaster of the district in which such water is used of the proposed lease.

The director of the department of water resources shall examine all of the evidence and available information and, provided no other water rights senior or junior to the water to be leased are injured thereby, may reject and refuse approval for, or may partially approve for less quantity of water, or may approve upon conditions any proposed lease of water where the proposed use is such that it will reduce the quantity of water available under other existing water rights, the water supply involved is insufficient for the purpose for which it is sought, the lease would cause the use of water to be enlarged beyond that authorized under the water right to be leased, the lease would be contrary to any local rental pool procedure as authorized under section 42-1765, Idaho Code, the lease will conflict with the local public interest as defined in section 42-202B, Idaho Code, or the lease will adversely affect the local economy of the watershed or local area within which the source of water for the proposed use originates, in the case where the place of use is outside of the watershed or local area where the source of water originates. A copy of the approved application for leasing of water shall be returned to the applicant, and he shall be authorized upon receipt thereof to lease the water pursuant to section 42-108A, Idaho Code. In the event the director of the department of water resources determines that a proposed change shall not be approved as provided in this section, he shall deny same and forward a notice of such action to the applicant by certified mail, which decision shall be subject to review pursuant to section 42-1701A, Idaho Code.

All fees received by the department of water resources under the provisions of this section shall be submitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the water administration fund.

History:

[42-108B, added 1981, ch. 267, sec. 2, p. 567; am. 2011, ch. 243, sec. 1, p. 655.]