42-202B. DEFINITIONS. Whenever used in this title, the term:

(1) "Consumptive use" means that portion of the annual volume of water diverted under a water right that is transpired by growing vegetation, evaporated from soils, converted to nonrecoverable water vapor, incorporated into products, or otherwise does not return to the waters of the state. Consumptive use is not an element of a water right. Consumptive use does not include any water that falls as precipitation directly on the place of use. Precipitation shall not be considered to reduce the consumptive use of a water right. "Authorized consumptive use" means the maximum consumptive use that may be made of a water right. If the use of a water right is for irrigation, for example, the authorized consumptive use reflects irrigation of the most consumptive vegetation that may be grown at the place of use. Changes in consumptive use do not require a transfer pursuant to section 42-222, Idaho Code.

(2) "Digital boundary" means the boundary encompassing and defining an area consisting of or incorporating the place of use or permissible place of use for a water right prepared and maintained by the department of water resources using a geographic information system in conformance with the national standard for spatial data accuracy or succeeding standard.

(3) "Local public interest" is defined as the interests that the people in the area directly affected by a proposed water use have in the effects of such use on the public water resource.

(4) "Municipality" means a city incorporated under section 50-102, Idaho Code, a county, or the state of Idaho acting through a department or institution.

(5) "Municipal provider" means:

(a) A municipality that provides water for municipal purposes to its residents and other users within its service area;

(b) Any corporation or association holding a franchise to supply water for municipal purposes, or a political subdivision of the state of Idaho authorized to supply water for municipal purposes, and which does supply water, for municipal purposes to users within its service area; or

(c) A corporation or association which supplies water for municipal purposes through a water system regulated by the state of Idaho as a "public water supply" as described in section 39-103(12), Idaho Code.

(6) "Municipal purposes" refers to water for residential, commercial, industrial, irrigation of parks and open space, and related purposes, excluding use of water from geothermal sources for heating, which a municipal provider is entitled or obligated to supply to all those users within a service area, including those located outside the boundaries of a municipality served by a municipal provider.

(7) "Planning horizon" refers to the length of time that the department determines is reasonable for a municipal provider to hold water rights to meet reasonably anticipated future needs. The length of the planning horizon may vary according to the needs of the particular municipal provider.

(8) "Reasonably anticipated future needs" refers to future uses of water by a municipal provider for municipal purposes within a service area which, on the basis of population and other planning data, are reasonably expected to be required within the planning horizon of each municipality within the service area not inconsistent with comprehensive land use plans approved by each municipality. Reasonably anticipated future needs shall not include uses of water within areas overlapped by conflicting comprehensive land use plans.

(9) "Service area" means that area within which a municipal provider is or becomes entitled or obligated to provide water for municipal purposes. For a municipality, the service area shall correspond to its corporate limits, or other recognized boundaries, including changes therein after the permit or license is issued. The service area for a municipality may also include areas outside its corporate limits, or other recognized boundaries, that are within the municipality’s established planning area if the constructed delivery system for the area shares a common water distribution system with lands located within the corporate limits. For a municipal provider that is not a municipality, the service area shall correspond to the area that it is authorized or obligated to serve, including changes therein after the permit or license is issued.

History:

[42-202B, added 1996, ch. 297, sec. 2, p. 970; am. 1997, ch. 373, sec. 1, p. 1188; am. 2000, ch. 132, sec. 36, p. 344; am. 2002, ch. 306, sec. 1, p. 870; am. 2003, ch. 298, sec. 1, p. 806; am. 2004, ch. 258, sec. 1, p. 733; am. 2005, ch. 167, sec. 15, p. 526.]