42-706. CREATION OF WATER MEASUREMENT DISTRICTS. (1) The director of the department of water resources is authorized to divide the state into water measurement districts in such manner that each public water source or sources or part thereof shall constitute a water measurement district; provided, that any appropriation or use included in a water district created pursuant to chapter 6, title 42, Idaho Code, shall not be included in a water measurement district. Appropriators or users of water for hydropower, instream flow, aquaculture purposes and irrigation districts duly organized under title 43, Idaho Code, holding water rights for distribution to landowners within the irrigation district, and ground water districts duly organized under chapter 52, title 42, Idaho Code, may petition to be excluded from the water measurement district at the time the water measurement district is created or modified, or at a later time, upon a showing to the satisfaction of the director that they are currently making and recording sufficient measurements of their diversions with measuring methods acceptable to the director and upon their agreement to provide an annual report of their diversions to the director in substantially the same form as required in section 42-708, Idaho Code. The director may create, revise the boundaries of, or abolish a water measurement district or combine two (2) or more water measurement districts by entry of an order if such action is required in order to properly administer uses of the water resource. Copies of the order and notice of the first meeting of the water measurement district shall be sent by regular mail to all holders of rights to the waters affected by the order.

(2) Before entering an order creating, modifying, or abolishing a district, the director shall, by regular mail, send notice of the proposed action to each appropriator and water user in the district or proposed district. The notice shall describe the proposed action to be taken, the reasons therefor, the time and place of a hearing to be held concerning the proposed action, and provide a time period within which written comment on the action will be accepted. The hearing shall not be held sooner than ten (10) days after the mailing of the notice, and the written comment period shall not close sooner than ten (10) days after the hearing. Instead of mailing notice, the director may publish notice describing the proposed action, the time and place for the hearing, and the deadline for receiving written comment. The notice shall be published once a week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper or newspapers having general circulation within the district or proposed district, with the second publication appearing at least ten (10) days before the date set for the hearing. The hearing shall be held within the district or proposed district, or at some nearby location convenient to the affected appropriators or water users.

(3) Each water measurement district created hereunder shall be considered an instrumentality of the state of Idaho for the purpose of performing the essential governmental function of measurement of water within the district.

(4) Any order of the director issued pursuant to this section is subject to judicial review as provided in section 42-1701A, Idaho Code.

History:

[42-706, added 1995, ch. 291, sec. 3, p. 1016; am. 1996, ch. 298, sec. 3, p. 980.]