C.R.S. § 37-90-101 Short title
37-90-101. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Colorado Groundwater Management Act".
Underground Water
C.R.S. tit. 37, art. 90
in effectC.R.S. § 37-90-102 Legislative declaration
37-90-102. Legislative declaration. (1) It is declared that the traditional policy of the state of Colorado, requiring the water resources of this state to be devoted to beneficial use in reasonable amounts through appropriation, is affirmed with respect to the designated groundwaters of this state, as said waters are defined in section 37-90-103 (6). While the doctrine of prior appropriation is recognized, such doctrine should be modified to permit the full economic development of designated groundwater resources. Prior appropriations of groundwater should be protected and reasonable groundwater pumping levels maintained, but not to include the maintenance of historical water levels. All designated groundwaters in this state are therefore declared to be subject to appropriation in the manner defined in this article.
(2) The general assembly finds and declares that the allocation of nontributary groundwater pursuant to statute is based upon the best available evidence at this time. The general assembly recognizes the unique, finite nature of nontributary groundwater resources outside of designated groundwater basins and declares that such nontributary groundwater shall be devoted to beneficial use in amounts based upon conservation of the resource and protection of vested water rights. Economic development of this resource shall allow for the reduction of hydrostatic pressure levels and aquifer water levels consistent with the protection of appropriative rights in the natural stream system. The doctrine of prior appropriation shall not apply to nontributary groundwater. To continue the development of nontributary groundwater resources consonant with conservation shall be the policy of this state. Such water shall be allocated as provided in this article upon the basis of ownership of the overlying land. This policy is a reasonable exercise of the general assembly's plenary power over this resource.
(3) Repealed.
C.R.S. § 37-90-103 Definitions - repeal
37-90-103. Definitions - repeal. As used in this article 90, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "Alternate point of diversion well" means any well drilled and used, in addition to an original well or other diversion, for the purpose of obtaining the present appropriation of that original well, from more than one point of diversion.
(2) "Aquifer" means a formation, group of formations, or part of a formation containing sufficient saturated permeable material that could yield a sufficient quantity of water that may be extracted and applied to a beneficial use.
(3) "Artesian well" means a well tapping an aquifer in which the static water level in the well rises above where it was first encountered in the aquifer, due to hydrostatic pressure.
(4) "Board" or "board of directors" means the board of directors of a ground water management district as organized under section 37-90-124.
(5) "Colorado water conservation board" refers to the board created in section 37-60-102.
(6) (a) "Designated groundwater" means that groundwater which in its natural course would not be available to and required for the fulfillment of decreed surface rights, or groundwater in areas not adjacent to a continuously flowing natural stream wherein groundwater withdrawals have constituted the principal water usage for at least fifteen years preceding the date of the first hearing on the proposed designation of the basin, and which in both cases is within the geographic boundaries of a designated groundwater basin. "Designated groundwater" shall not include any groundwater within the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills formation located outside the boundaries of any designated groundwater basin that was in existence on January 1, 1983.
(b) (I) However, "designated groundwater" may include any groundwater in the Crow Creek drainage area in Weld county, upstream from the confluence of Crow Creek and Little Crow Creek, within the Laramie-Fox Hills formation located outside such boundaries when the Laramie-Fox Hills formation is not overlaid by the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, or Arapahoe formations.
(II) If, upon receipt by the state engineer of the findings of the Laramie-Fox Hills study, as authorized by Senate Bill 250, 1985 legislative session, that the upper Crow Creek drainage area in Weld county, upstream from the confluence of Crow Creek and Little Crow Creek, within the Laramie-Fox Hills formation when the Laramie-Fox Hills formation is not overlaid by the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, or Arapahoe formations should not be a designated groundwater basin, this paragraph (b) is repealed.
(7) "Designated groundwater basin" means that area established by the ground water commission in accordance with section 37-90-106.
(8) "Ground water commission" or "commission" refers to the ground water commission created and provided for in section 37-90-104 to facilitate the functioning of this article.
(9) "Ground water management district" or "district" means any district organized under the provisions of this article.
sin" means that area established by the ground water commission in accordance with section 37-90-106.
(8) "Ground water commission" or "commission" refers to the ground water commission created and provided for in section 37-90-104 to facilitate the functioning of this article.
(9) "Ground water management district" or "district" means any district organized under the provisions of this article.
(10) "Historical water level" means the average elevation of the groundwater level in any area before being lowered by the activities of man, as nearly as can be determined from scientific investigation and available facts.
(10.5) "Nontributary groundwater" means that groundwater, located outside the boundaries of any designated groundwater basins in existence on January 1, 1985, the withdrawal of which will not, within one hundred years of continuous withdrawal, deplete the flow of a natural stream, including a natural stream as defined in sections 37-82-101 (2) and 37-92-102 (1)(b), at an annual rate greater than one-tenth of one percent of the annual rate of withdrawal. The determination of whether groundwater is nontributary shall be based on aquifer conditions existing at the time of permit application; except that, in recognition of the de minimis amount of water discharging from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers into surface streams due to artesian pressure, when compared with the great economic importance of the groundwater in those aquifers, and the feasibility and requirement of full augmentation by wells located in the tributary portions of those aquifers, it is specifically found and declared that, in determining whether groundwater of the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers is nontributary, it shall be assumed that the hydrostatic pressure level in each such aquifer has been lowered at least to the top of that aquifer throughout that aquifer; except that not nontributary groundwater, as defined in subsection (10.7) of this section, in the Denver basin shall not become nontributary groundwater as a result of the aquifer's hydrostatic pressure level dropping below the alluvium of an adjacent stream due to Denver basin well pumping activity. Nothing in this subsection (10.5) shall preclude the designation of any aquifer or basin, or any portion thereof, which is otherwise eligible for designation under the standard set forth in subsection (6) of this section relating to groundwater in areas not adjacent to a continuously flowing natural stream wherein groundwater withdrawals have constituted the principal water usage for at least fifteen years preceding the date of the first hearing on the proposed designation of a basin.
(10.7) "Not nontributary groundwater" means groundwater located within those portions of the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers that are outside the boundaries of any designated groundwater basin in existence on January 1, 1985, the withdrawal of which will, within one hundred years, deplete the flow of a natural stream, including a natural stream as defined in sections 37-82-101 (2) and 37-92-102 (1)(b), at an annual rate of greater than one-tenth of one percent of the annual rate of withdrawal.
(10.9) "Oil and gas well" means a well permitted by the energy and carbon management commission created in section 34-60-104.3 (1) or a well authorized by a federal or tribal entity for the primary purpose of mining, including exploration or production, of petroleum products.
(11) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, or corporation authorized to do business in the state of Colorado, or any political subdivision or public agency thereof, or any agency of the United States, making a beneficial use, or taking steps, or doing work preliminary to making a beneficial use of designated underground waters of Colorado.
or production, of petroleum products.
(11) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, or corporation authorized to do business in the state of Colorado, or any political subdivision or public agency thereof, or any agency of the United States, making a beneficial use, or taking steps, or doing work preliminary to making a beneficial use of designated underground waters of Colorado.
(12) "Private driller" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, political subdivision, or public agency which operates as lessee or owner its own well drilling rig and equipment and which digs, drills, redrills, cases, recases, deepens, or excavates a well upon the property of such entity.
(12.5) "Quarter-quarter" means a fourth of a fourth of a section of land and is equal to approximately forty acres.
(12.7) "Replacement plan" means a detailed program to increase the supply of water available for beneficial use in a designated groundwater basin or portion thereof for the purpose of preventing material injury to other water rights by the development of new points of diversion, by pooling of water resources, by water exchange projects, by providing substitute supplies of water, by the development of new sources of water, or by any other appropriate means consistent with the rules adopted by the commission. "Replacement plan" does not include the salvage of designated groundwater by the eradication of phreatophytes, nor does it include the use of precipitation water collected from land surfaces that have been made impermeable, thereby increasing the runoff, but not adding to the existing supply of water.
(13) "Replacement well" means a new well which replaces an existing well and which shall be limited to the yield of the original well and shall take the date of priority of the original well, which shall be abandoned upon completion of the new well.
(14) "Resident agriculturist" means a bona fide farmer or rancher residing in the designated groundwater basin whose major source of income is derived from the production and sale of agricultural products.
(15) "State engineer" means the state engineer of Colorado or any person deputized by him in writing to perform a duty or exercise a right granted in this article.
(16) "Subdivision" means an area within a groundwater basin.
(17) "Supplemental well" means any well drilled and used, in addition to an original well or other diversion, for the purpose of obtaining the quantity of the original appropriation of the original well, which quantity can no longer be obtained from the original well.
(18) "Taxpaying elector" means a person qualified to vote at general elections in Colorado, who owns real or personal property within the district and has paid ad valorem taxes thereon in the twenty months immediately preceding a designated time or event, which property is subject to taxation at the time of any election held under the provisions of this article or at any other time in reference to which the term "taxpaying elector" is used. A person who is obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase real property in the district shall be considered an owner. The ownership of any property subject to the payment of a specific ownership tax on a motor vehicle or trailer or of any other excise or property tax other than general ad valorem property taxes shall not constitute the ownership of property subject to taxation as provided in this article.
(19) "Underground water" and "groundwater" are used interchangeably in this article and mean any water not visible on the surface of the ground under natural conditions.
(20) "Waste" means causing, suffering, or permitting any well to discharge water unnecessarily above or below the surface of the ground.
l not constitute the ownership of property subject to taxation as provided in this article.
(19) "Underground water" and "groundwater" are used interchangeably in this article and mean any water not visible on the surface of the ground under natural conditions.
(20) "Waste" means causing, suffering, or permitting any well to discharge water unnecessarily above or below the surface of the ground.
(21) (a) "Well" means any structure or device used for the purpose or with the effect of obtaining groundwater for beneficial use from an aquifer. Well includes an augmentation well that diverts groundwater tributary to the South Platte river and delivers it to a surface stream, ditch, canal, reservoir, or recharge facility to replace out-of-priority stream depletions, or to meet South Platte river compact obligations, either directly or by recharge accretions, as part of a plan for augmentation approved by the water judge for water division 1 or a substitute water supply plan approved pursuant to section 37-92-308.
(b) "Well" does not include a naturally flowing spring or springs where the natural spring discharge is captured or concentrated by installation of a near-surface structure or device less than ten feet in depth located at or within fifty feet of the spring or springs' natural discharge point and the water is conveyed directly by gravity flow or into a separate sump or storage, if the owner obtains a water right for such structure or device as a spring pursuant to article 92 of this title.
(22) "Well driller" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, political subdivision, or public agency which digs, drills, cases, recases, deepens, or excavates a well either by contract or for hire or for any consideration whatsoever.
C.R.S. § 37-90-104 Commission - organization - expenses
37-90-104. Commission - organization - expenses. (1) There is created the ground water commission, which consists of twelve members, nine of whom are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate. The ground water commission is a type 1 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105.
(2) (a) All appointments to the commission are for terms of four years, except those made to fill vacancies, which shall be for the remainder of the term vacated.
(b) Appointments by the governor shall be made as follows:
(I) Six members who are resident agriculturists of designated groundwater basins, with no more than two resident agriculturists from the same groundwater basin to be members of the commission at the same time;
(II) One member who is a resident agriculturist and who is from water division 3; and
(III) Two residents of the state of Colorado who represent municipal or industrial water users of the state, one of whom is from the area west of the continental divide.
(3) In addition to the appointed members, the commission includes:
(a) The executive director of the department of natural resources, who is a voting member;
(b) The state engineer, who is a nonvoting member; and
(c) The director of the Colorado water conservation board, who is a nonvoting member.
(4) (a) Six voting members constitutes a quorum at any regularly or specially called meeting of the commission, and a majority vote of those present shall rule.
(b) The commission shall establish and maintain a schedule of at least four general meetings each year. The chair, at the chair's discretion, or two voting members may call special meetings of the commission to dispose of accumulated business.
(5) Members of the commission shall be paid no compensation but shall be paid actual necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members and a per diem of fifty dollars per day while performing official duties, not to exceed two thousand four hundred dollars in any year.
(6) (a) The commission shall biennially select a chair and vice-chair from among the appointed members.
(b) The state engineer shall be ex officio the executive director of the commission and shall carry out and enforce the decisions, orders, and policies of the commission.
(c) The commission may delegate to the executive director the authority to perform any of the functions of the commission as set forth in this article 90 except the determination of a designated groundwater basin as set forth in section 37-90-106 and the creation of ground water management districts.
(d) If any person is dissatisfied with any action of the executive director under the exercise of the powers delegated by the commission, the person may appeal said action to the commission, which shall hear the person's appeals as specified in sections 37-90-113 and 37-90-114.
(7) The provisions of section 24-6-402 (3)(a)(II) concerning imminent court action, as applied to the ground water commission and to any member, employee, contractor, agent, servant, attorney, or consultant of the commission, shall not include any actions within the scope of sections 37-90-106 to 37-90-109 and section 37-90-111.
C.R.S. § 37-90-105 Small capacity wells
37-90-105. Small capacity wells. (1) The state engineer has the authority to approve permits for the following types of wells and to allow the following types of rooftop precipitation collection systems in designated groundwater basins without regard to any other provisions of this article:
(a) Wells not exceeding fifty gallons per minute and used for no more than three single-family dwellings, including the normal operations associated with such dwellings but not including the irrigation of more than one acre of land;
(b) Wells not exceeding fifty gallons per minute and used for watering of livestock on range and pasture;
(c) (I) One well not exceeding fifty gallons per minute and used in one commercial business.
(II) To qualify as a "commercial business" under this paragraph (c), the business shall be:
(A) A business that will be operated by the well owner and that will have its own books, bank accounts, checking accounts, and separate tax returns;
(B) A business that will use water solely on the land indicated in the permit for the well and for the purposes stated in such permit;
(C) A business that will maintain its individual assets and will own or lease the property on which the well is to be located or where the business is operated;
(D) A business that will have its own contractual agreements for operation of the business;
(E) A business that agrees not to transfer a permit issued under this paragraph (c) to another entity that also holds a small capacity commercial well permit under this paragraph (c); and
(F) A business that agrees to notify any potential buyer that such buyer shall notify the state engineer of any change in ownership of such business within sixty days after any such change in ownership.
(d) Wells to be used exclusively for monitoring and observation purposes if said wells are capped and locked and used only to monitor water levels or for water quality sampling;
(e) Wells to be used exclusively for fire-fighting purposes if said wells are capped and locked and available for use only in fighting fires; or
(f) (I) Any system or method of collecting precipitation from the roof of a building that is used primarily as a residence and is not served by, whether or not connected to, a domestic water system that serves more than three single-family dwellings, but only if the use of the water so collected is limited to one or more of the following:
(A) Ordinary household purposes;
(B) Fire protection;
(C) The watering of poultry, domestic animals, and livestock on farms and ranches; or
(D) The irrigation of not more than one acre of gardens and lawns.
(II) On and after July 1, 2009, any person wishing to use a system or method of rooftop precipitation capture that meets the requirements of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (f) shall comply with one of the following provisions:
(A) A person who has a well permit issued or recorded pursuant to this section and who intends to use a system or method of rooftop precipitation capture that qualifies under subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (f) shall file, on a form prescribed by the state engineer and consistent with this section, a notice and description of the system or method of rooftop precipitation capture to be used in conjunction with the well. No fee shall be charged for the filing of this form.
and who intends to use a system or method of rooftop precipitation capture that qualifies under subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (f) shall file, on a form prescribed by the state engineer and consistent with this section, a notice and description of the system or method of rooftop precipitation capture to be used in conjunction with the well. No fee shall be charged for the filing of this form.
(B) A person who applies for a new well permit pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) and who intends to use a system or method of rooftop precipitation capture that qualifies under subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (f) shall include on the well permit application a description of the system or method of rooftop precipitation capture to be used in conjunction with the well. An applicant under this sub-subparagraph (B) shall pay the well permit application fee pursuant to sub-subparagraph (C) of subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section; however, such applicant shall not be required to pay any additional application fee for the rooftop precipitation collection system.
(C) A person who does not intend to construct and use a well, but would otherwise be entitled to the issuance of a well permit pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), shall submit an application in the form and manner designated by the state engineer for a permit to install and use a system or method of rooftop precipitation capture and pay a fee in an amount to be determined by the state engineer. If the state engineer determines that the proposed system or method of rooftop precipitation capture meets the requirements of this paragraph (f), the state engineer shall issue a permit for the system or method, but not otherwise. The state engineer shall enforce the provisions of the permit in the same manner as the enforcement of any well permit issued pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1).
(III) A person using or legally entitled to use a well pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall be allowed to collect rooftop precipitation pursuant to this paragraph (f) only for use by the same dwellings that are or would be served by the well and subject to all of the limitations on use contained in the well permit or, in the absence of a well permit, the well permit to which the person would be legally entitled, as determined by the state engineer or as otherwise limited by the board of a ground water management district pursuant to subsection (7) of this section.
(2) The state engineer has the authority to adopt rules in accordance with section 24-4-103, C.R.S., to carry out the provisions of this section. Any party adversely affected or aggrieved by a rule adopted by the state engineer may seek judicial review of such action pursuant to section 24-4-106, C.R.S.
(3) (a) (I) (A) and (B) Repealed.
(C) Effective July 1, 2006, wells of the type described in this section may be constructed only upon the issuance of a permit in accordance with the provisions of this section. A fee of one hundred dollars shall accompany any application for a new well permit under this section. A fee of sixty dollars shall accompany any application for a replacement well of the type described in subsection (1) of this section.
(II) Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a), the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or more of the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
(b) Beginning on August 5, 1998, the state engineer shall not approve a permit for a small capacity well with an annual volume of use in excess of five acre-feet, unless the well is located in a ground water management district that has adopted rules that allow an annual volume in excess of five acre-feet. This limitation shall not apply to a replacement permit for a well where the original permit allows an annual volume of use in excess of five acre-feet or to a permit for a well covered by the provisions of subsection (4) of this section where the actual annual volume of use was in excess of five acre-feet.
(c) If the application is made pursuant to this section for a well that will be located in a subdivision, as defined in section 30-28-101 (10), C.R.S., and approved on or after June 1, 1972, pursuant to article 28 of title 30, C.R.S., for which the water supply plan has not been recommended for approval by the state engineer, the cumulative effect of all such wells in the subdivision shall be considered in determining material injury, and the state engineer shall deny the application if it is determined that the proposed well will cause material injury to existing water rights.
(d) (I) If any person wishes to replace an existing well of the type described in subsection (1) of this section, such person shall file an application pursuant to this subsection (3) for the construction of a well and shall state in such application such person's intent to abandon the existing well that is to be replaced.
(II) If such a replacement well will not change the amount or type of use of water that can lawfully be made by means of the existing well, a permit to construct and use the replacement well shall be issued, and the existing well shall be abandoned within ninety days after the completion of the replacement well.
(e) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, wells for which permits have been granted or may be granted shall be constructed within two years after the permit is issued, which time may be extended for successive years at the discretion of the state engineer for good cause shown.
(4) (a) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, any wells of the type described by this section that were put to beneficial use prior to May 8, 1972, and any wells that were used exclusively for monitoring and observation purposes prior to August 1, 1988, not of record in the office of the state engineer, may be recorded in that office upon written application, payment of a processing fee of one hundred dollars, and permit approval. The record shall include the date the water is claimed to have been first put to beneficial use.
to May 8, 1972, and any wells that were used exclusively for monitoring and observation purposes prior to August 1, 1988, not of record in the office of the state engineer, may be recorded in that office upon written application, payment of a processing fee of one hundred dollars, and permit approval. The record shall include the date the water is claimed to have been first put to beneficial use.
(b) Any owner of an existing well that was constructed prior to May 8, 1972, or has a well permit issued prior to January 1, 1996, under the provisions of this section, and that was put to beneficial use for watering livestock in a confined animal-feeding operation prior to January 1, 1996, and has been used for that purpose, may apply by December 31, 1999, to obtain a new permit for that well up to the extent of its beneficial use prior to January 1, 1996, for watering livestock in that commercial business pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section. Such well shall be in addition to the one commercial business well allowed in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section. Such an application shall include a sixty dollar filing fee and shall provide documentation of the annual volume of water put to beneficial use from the well. The state engineer shall have the authority to determine the adequacy of the submitted information for the purpose of approving completely, approving in part, or denying the application. Permits issued after January 1, 1996, up to August 5, 1998, shall remain valid thereafter according to the terms and conditions of those permits.
(5) The state engineer shall act upon an application filed under this section within forty-five days after such filing and shall support the ruling with a written statement of the basis therefor.
(6) (a) Any person aggrieved by a decision of the state engineer granting or denying an application under this section may request a hearing before the state engineer pursuant to section 24-4-104, C.R.S. The state engineer may, in the state engineer's discretion, have such hearings conducted before such agent as it may designate for a ruling in the matter. Any party who seeks to reverse or modify the ruling of the agent of the state engineer may file an appeal to the state engineer pursuant to section 24-4-105, C.R.S.
(b) Any party aggrieved by a final decision of the state engineer granting or denying an application filed under this section may within thirty days after such decision file a petition for review with the district court in the county in which the well is located. Upon receipt of such petition, the designated groundwater judge for the basin in which the well is located shall conduct such hearings, pursuant to section 24-4-106, C.R.S., as necessary to determine whether or not the decision of the state engineer shall be upheld. In any case in which the state engineer's decision is reversed, the judge shall order the state engineer to grant or deny the application, as such reversal may require, and may specify such terms and conditions as are appropriate.
(7) (a) The board of a ground water management district may adopt rules that further restrict the issuance of small capacity well permits and use of rooftop precipitation collection systems or graywater treatment works. In addition, the board of a ground water management district may adopt rules that expand the acre-foot limitations for small capacity wells set forth in this section. However, the board of a ground water management district shall not allow an annual volume of more than eighty acre-feet for any small capacity well.
ts and use of rooftop precipitation collection systems or graywater treatment works. In addition, the board of a ground water management district may adopt rules that expand the acre-foot limitations for small capacity wells set forth in this section. However, the board of a ground water management district shall not allow an annual volume of more than eighty acre-feet for any small capacity well.
(b) The board may institute its rules only after a public hearing. The board shall publish notice of the hearing, stating the time and place of the hearing and describing, in general terms, the rules proposed. Within sixty days after the hearing, the board shall announce the rules adopted and shall publish notice of the action. In addition, the board shall mail, within five days after the adoption of the rules, a copy of the rules to the state engineer.
(c) Any party adversely affected or aggrieved by a rule may, not later than thirty days after the last date of publication, initiate judicial review in accordance with section 24-4-106, C.R.S.; except that venue for judicial review of the rule must be in the district court for the county in which the office of the ground water management district is located.
(8) A person withdrawing water from a well pursuant to paragraph (a) or (c) of subsection (1) of this section may use graywater through use of a graywater treatment works, as those terms are defined in section 25-8-103 (8.3) and (8.4), C.R.S., in compliance with the requirements of section 25-8-205 (1)(g), C.R.S. Any limitations on use set forth in the well permit apply to the use of graywater.
C.R.S. § 37-90-106 Determination of designated groundwater basins - exception - legislative declaration - repeal
37-90-106. Determination of designated groundwater basins - exception - legislative declaration - repeal. (1) (a) The commission shall, from time to time as adequate factual data become available, determine designated groundwater basins and subdivisions thereof by geographic description. If factual data obtained after the designation of a groundwater basin justify, the commission may alter the boundaries or description of that designated groundwater basin by adding lands to the basin. After a determination of a designated groundwater basin becomes final, the commission may alter the boundaries to exclude lands from that basin only if factual data justify the alteration and the alteration would not exclude from the designated groundwater basin any well for which a conditional or final permit to use designated groundwater has been issued. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that allowing alterations to exclude lands from a designated groundwater basin only under such circumstances as set forth in this paragraph (a) reaffirms, rather than alters, the general assembly's original intent that there be a cut-off date beyond which the legal status of groundwater included in a designated groundwater basin cannot be challenged, and that such cut-off date was intended to be the date of finality for the original designation of the basin. After this cut-off date has passed, any request to exclude wells that are permitted to use designated groundwater from an existing groundwater basin shall constitute an impermissible collateral attack on the original decision to designate the basin.
(a.5) Nothing in Senate Bill 10-052, enacted in 2010, shall affect litigation brought under this section that is pending on January 1, 2010.
(b) In making such determinations the commission shall make the following findings:
(I) The name of the aquifer within the proposed designated basin;
(II) The boundaries of each aquifer being considered;
(III) The estimated quantity of water stored in each aquifer;
(IV) The estimated annual rate of recharge;
(V) The estimated use of the groundwater in the area.
(2) If the source is an area of use exceeding fifteen years as defined in section 37-90-103 (6), the commission shall list those users who have been withdrawing water during the fifteen-year period, the use made of the water, the average annual quantity of water withdrawn, and the year in which the user began to withdraw water.
(3) Before determining or altering the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin or subdivisions thereof, the state engineer shall prepare and file in his office a map clearly showing all lands included therein, together with a written description thereof sufficient to apprise interested parties of the boundaries of the proposed basin or subdivisions thereof. The commission shall publish the same and hold a hearing thereon. Following such hearing, the commission shall enter an order to either create the proposed designated groundwater basin, to include modification of the proposed boundaries, if any, or dismiss the original proposal, according to the factual information presented or available.
(4) (a) The commission shall not, after May 23, 1983, determine as part of any designated groundwater basin any groundwater within the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills formations which was located outside the boundaries of any designated groundwater basin that was in existence on January 1, 1983.
original proposal, according to the factual information presented or available.
(4) (a) The commission shall not, after May 23, 1983, determine as part of any designated groundwater basin any groundwater within the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills formations which was located outside the boundaries of any designated groundwater basin that was in existence on January 1, 1983.
(b) (I) However, the commission may determine as a part of any designated groundwater basin any groundwater in the Crow Creek drainage area in Weld county, upstream from the confluence of Crow Creek and Little Crow Creek, within the Laramie-Fox Hills formation when the Laramie-Fox Hills formation is not overlaid by the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, or Arapahoe formations.
(II) If, upon receipt by the state engineer of the findings of the Laramie-Fox Hills study, as authorized by Senate Bill 250, 1985 legislative session, that the upper Crow Creek drainage area in Weld county, upstream from the confluence of Crow Creek and Little Crow Creek, within the Laramie-Fox Hills formation when the Laramie-Fox Hills formation is not overlaid by the Dawson-Arkose, Denver, or Arapahoe formations should not be a designated groundwater basin, this paragraph (b) is repealed.
C.R.S. § 37-90-107 Application for use of groundwater - publication of notice - conditional permit - hearing on objections - well permits
37-90-107. Application for use of groundwater - publication of notice - conditional permit - hearing on objections - well permits. (1) Any person desiring to appropriate groundwater for a beneficial use in a designated groundwater basin shall make application to the commission in a form to be prescribed by the commission. The applicant shall specify the particular designated groundwater basin or subdivision thereof from which water is proposed to be appropriated, the beneficial use to which it is proposed to apply such water, the location of the proposed well, the name of the owner of the land on which such well will be located, the estimated average annual amount of water applied for in acre-feet, the estimated maximum pumping rate in gallons per minute, and, if the proposed use is irrigation, the description of the land to be irrigated and the name of the owner thereof, together with such other reasonable information as the commission may designate on the form prescribed. The amount of water applied for shall only be utilized on the land designated on the application. The place of use shall not be changed without first obtaining authorization from the ground water commission.
(2) Upon the filing of such application, a preliminary evaluation shall be made to determine if the application may be granted. If the application can be given favorable consideration by the ground water commission under existing policies, then, within thirty days, the application shall be published.
(3) After the expiration of the time for filing objections, if no such objections have been filed, the commission shall, if it finds that the proposed appropriation will not unreasonably impair existing water rights from the same source and will not create unreasonable waste, grant the said application, and the state engineer shall issue a conditional permit to the applicant within forty-five days after the expiration of the time for filing objections or within forty-five days after the hearing provided for in subsection (4) of this section to appropriate all or a part of the waters applied for, subject to such reasonable conditions and limitations as the commission may specify.
(4) If objections have been filed within the time in said notice specified, the commission shall set a date for a hearing on the application and the objections thereto and shall notify the applicants and the objectors of the time and place. Such hearing shall be held in the designated groundwater basin and within the district, if one exists, in which the proposed well will be located or at such other place as may be designated by the commission for the convenience of, and as agreed to by, the parties involved. If after such hearing it appears that there are no unappropriated waters in the designated source or that the proposed appropriation would unreasonably impair existing water rights from such source or would create unreasonable waste, the application shall be denied; otherwise, it shall be granted in accordance with subsection (3) of this section. The commission shall consider all evidence presented at the hearing and all other matters set forth in this section in determining whether the application should be denied or granted.
would unreasonably impair existing water rights from such source or would create unreasonable waste, the application shall be denied; otherwise, it shall be granted in accordance with subsection (3) of this section. The commission shall consider all evidence presented at the hearing and all other matters set forth in this section in determining whether the application should be denied or granted.
(5) In ascertaining whether a proposed use will create unreasonable waste or unreasonably affect the rights of other appropriators, the commission shall take into consideration the area and geologic conditions, the average annual yield and recharge rate of the appropriate water supply, the priority and quantity of existing claims of all persons to use the water, the proposed method of use, and all other matters appropriate to such questions. With regard to whether a proposed use will impair uses under existing water rights, impairment shall include the unreasonable lowering of the water level, or the unreasonable deterioration of water quality, beyond reasonable economic limits of withdrawal or use. If an application for a well permit cannot otherwise be granted pursuant to this section, a well permit may be issued upon approval by the ground water commission of a replacement plan that meets the requirements of this article and the rules adopted by the commission. A replacement plan shall not be used as a vehicle for avoiding limitations on existing wells, including but not limited to restrictions on change of well location. Therefore, before approving any replacement plan that includes existing wells, the commission shall require independent compliance with all rules governing those existing wells in addition to compliance with any guidelines or rules governing replacement plans.
(5.5) A person withdrawing water from a well pursuant to subsection (3) of this section may use graywater through use of a graywater treatment works, as those terms are defined in section 25-8-103 (8.3) and (8.4), C.R.S., in compliance with the requirements of section 25-8-205 (1)(g), C.R.S. Any limitations on use set forth in the well permit, or in the provisions of any approved replacement plan, apply to the use of graywater.
(6) (a) (I) A person shall not, in connection with the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining, as defined in section 34-32.5-103 (15), expose designated groundwater to the atmosphere unless the person has obtained a well permit from the ground water commission. If an application for such a well permit cannot otherwise be granted pursuant to this section, a well permit shall be issued upon approval by the ground water commission of a replacement plan that meets the requirements of this article 90, pursuant to the guidelines or rules adopted by the commission. The well permit and replacement plan may authorize uses of water incidental to open mining for sand and gravel, including processing and washing mined materials; dust suppression; mined land reclamation including temporary irrigation for revegetation; liner or slurry wall construction; production of concrete and other aggregate-based construction materials; dewatering; and mitigation of impacts from mining and dewatering.
(II) Any person who extracted sand and gravel by open mining and exposed groundwater to the atmosphere after December 31, 1980, shall apply for a well permit pursuant to this section and, if applicable, shall submit a replacement plan prior to July 15, 1990.
(b) If any designated groundwater was exposed to the atmosphere in connection with the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining as defined in section 34-32-103 (9), C.R.S., prior to January 1, 1981, no such well permit or replacement plan shall be required to replace depletions from evaporation; except that the burden of proving that such designated groundwater was exposed prior to January 1, 1981, shall be upon the party claiming the benefit of this exception.
nnection with the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining as defined in section 34-32-103 (9), C.R.S., prior to January 1, 1981, no such well permit or replacement plan shall be required to replace depletions from evaporation; except that the burden of proving that such designated groundwater was exposed prior to January 1, 1981, shall be upon the party claiming the benefit of this exception.
(c) Any person who has reactivated or reactivates open mining operations which exposed designated groundwater to the atmosphere but which ceased activity prior to January 1, 1981, shall obtain a well permit and shall apply for approval of a replacement plan or a plan of substitute supply pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (6).
(d) In addition to the well permit filing fee required by section 37-90-116, the commission shall collect the following fees for exposing groundwater to the atmosphere for the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining:
(I) For persons who exposed groundwater to the atmosphere on or after January 1, 1981, but prior to July 15, 1989, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars; except that, if such plan is filed prior to July 15, 1990, as required by subparagraph (II) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (6), the filing fee shall be seventy dollars if such plan includes ten acres or less of exposed groundwater surface area or three hundred fifty dollars if such plan includes more than ten acres of exposed groundwater surface area;
(II) For persons who expose groundwater to the atmosphere on or after July 15, 1989, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. In the case of new mining operations, such fee shall cover two years of operation of the plan.
(III) For persons who reactivated or who reactivate mining operations that ceased activity prior to January 1, 1981, and who enlarge the surface area of any gravel pit lake beyond the area it covered before the cessation of activity, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars;
(IV) For persons who request renewal of an approved substitute water supply plan prior to the expiration date of the plan, two hundred fifty-seven dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed;
(V) For persons whose approved substitute water supply plan has expired and who submit a subsequent plan, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. An approved plan shall be considered expired if the applicant has not applied for renewal before the expiration date of the plan. The state engineer shall notify the applicant in writing if the plan is considered expired.
(VI) For persons whose proposed substitute water supply plan was disapproved and who submit a subsequent plan, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. The state engineer shall notify the applicant in writing of disapproval of a plan.
(e) Excluding the well permit filing fee required by section 37-90-116 (2), the state treasurer shall credit all fees collected with a replacement plan to the water resources cash fund created in section 37-80-111.7 (1).
(f) A person who has obtained a reclamation permit pursuant to section 34-32-112, C.R.S., shall be allowed to apply for a single well permit and to submit a single replacement plan for the entire acreage covered by the reclamation plan without regard to the number of gravel pit lakes located within such acreage.
replacement plan to the water resources cash fund created in section 37-80-111.7 (1).
(f) A person who has obtained a reclamation permit pursuant to section 34-32-112, C.R.S., shall be allowed to apply for a single well permit and to submit a single replacement plan for the entire acreage covered by the reclamation plan without regard to the number of gravel pit lakes located within such acreage.
(g) Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in paragraph (d) of this subsection (6), the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or more of the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
(7) (a) The commission shall allocate, upon the basis of the ownership of the overlying land, any designated groundwater contained in the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers. Permits issued pursuant to this subsection (7) shall allow withdrawals on the basis of an aquifer life of one hundred years. The commission shall adopt the necessary rules to carry out the provisions of this subsection (7).
(b) Any right to the use of groundwater entitling its owner or user to construct a well, which right was initiated prior to November 19, 1973, as evidenced by a current decree, well registration statement, or an unexpired well permit issued prior to November 19, 1973, shall not be subject to the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (7).
(c) (I) (A) and (B) Repealed.
(C) Effective July 1, 2006, rights to designated groundwater in the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers to be allocated pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (7) may be determined in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any person desiring to obtain such a determination shall make application to the commission in a form to be prescribed by the commission. A fee of sixty dollars shall be submitted with the application for each aquifer, which sum shall not be refunded. The application may also include a request for approval of a replacement plan if one is required under commission rules to replace any depletions to alluvial aquifers caused due to withdrawal of groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers.
(II) The publication and hearing requirements of this section shall also apply to an application for determination of water rights pursuant to this subsection (7).
(III) Any such commission approved determination shall be considered a final determination of the amount of groundwater so determined; except that the commission shall retain jurisdiction for subsequent adjustment of such amount to conform to the actual local aquifer characteristics from adequate information obtained from well drilling or test holes.
water rights pursuant to this subsection (7).
(III) Any such commission approved determination shall be considered a final determination of the amount of groundwater so determined; except that the commission shall retain jurisdiction for subsequent adjustment of such amount to conform to the actual local aquifer characteristics from adequate information obtained from well drilling or test holes.
(d) (I) (A) and (B) Repealed.
(C) Effective July 1, 2006, any person desiring a permit for a well to withdraw groundwater for a beneficial use from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers shall make application to the commission on a form to be prescribed by the commission. A fee of one hundred dollars shall be submitted with the application, which sum shall not be refunded.
(II) A well permit shall not be granted unless a determination of groundwater to be withdrawn by the well has been made pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (7).
(III) The application for a well permit shall also include a replacement plan if one is required under commission rules to replace any depletions to alluvial aquifers caused due to withdrawal of groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers and the required plan has not been approved pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (7). The publication and hearing requirements of this section shall apply to an application for such a replacement plan.
(IV) The annual amount of withdrawal allowed in any well permits issued under this subsection (7) shall be less than or equal to the amount determined pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (7) and may, if so provided by any such determination, provide for the subsequent adjustment of such amount to conform to the actual aquifer characteristics encountered upon drilling of the well or test holes.
(8) The commission shall have the exclusive authority to issue or deny well permits under this section. The commission shall consider any recommendation by ground water management districts concerning well permit applications under this section.
C.R.S. § 37-90-107.5 Replacement plans
37-90-107.5. Replacement plans. Any person desiring to obtain an approval of a replacement plan within the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin pursuant to the provisions of this article shall make an application to the commission in a form prescribed by the commission. The applicant shall also submit a summary of the application to the commission for publication. If the commission determines the application to be complete, it shall be published pursuant to section 37-90-112 within sixty days after the filing of such an application. If an objection is filed, a hearing shall be held pursuant to section 37-90-113. The commission shall approve the replacement plan if the commission determines that the replacement plan meets the requirements of this article and rules adopted by the commission. A replacement plan shall not be used as a vehicle for avoiding limitations on existing wells, including but not limited to restrictions on change of well location. Therefore, before approving any replacement plan that includes existing wells, the commission shall require independent compliance with all rules governing those existing wells in addition to compliance with any guidelines or rules governing replacement plans.
C.R.S. § 37-90-107.6 Aquifer storage-and-recovery plans - publication - objection - hearing - rules
37-90-107.6. Aquifer storage-and-recovery plans - publication - objection - hearing - rules. If a person seeks to obtain an approval of an aquifer storage-and-recovery plan within the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin, the person must apply to the commission in a form and manner determined by the commission by rule. When submitting the application to the commission, the applicant must also submit a summary of the application to the commission for publication. If the commission determines that the application is complete, the application shall be published pursuant to section 37-90-112 within sixty days after the filing of the completed application. If an objection to the application is filed, the commission shall hold a hearing on the application pursuant to section 37-90-113. The commission shall approve an aquifer storage-and-recovery plan if the commission determines that the aquifer storage-and-recovery plan meets the requirements of this article 90 and rules adopted by the commission. An aquifer storage-and-recovery plan shall not be used as a vehicle for avoiding limitations on existing wells, including but not limited to restrictions on change of well location. Therefore, before approving any aquifer storage-and-recovery plan that includes existing wells, the commission shall require independent compliance with all rules governing those existing wells in addition to compliance with any guideline or rules governing aquifer storage-and-recovery plans.
C.R.S. § 37-90-108 Final permit - evidence of well construction and beneficial use - limitations
37-90-108. Final permit - evidence of well construction and beneficial use - limitations. (1) (a) After having received a conditional permit to appropriate designated groundwater, the applicant, within one year from the date of the issuance of said permit, shall construct the well or other works necessary to apply the water to a beneficial use.
(b) The applicant, upon completion of the well, shall furnish information to the commission, in the form prescribed by the commission, as to the depth of the well, the water-bearing formations intercepted by the well, and the maximum sustained pumping rate in gallons per minute.
(c) If the well described in the conditional permit is not constructed within one year from the date of the issuance of the conditional permit as provided in this subsection (1), the conditional permit shall expire and be of no force or effect; except that, upon a showing of good cause, the commission may grant one extension of time only for a period not to exceed one year. If the well has been constructed timely but the completion information required by this subsection (1) has not been furnished to the commission, the procedures specified in subsection (6) of this section shall apply.
(2) (a) If the well or wells described in a conditional permit have been constructed in compliance with subsection (1) of this section, the applicant, within three years after the date of the issuance of said permit, shall furnish by sworn affidavit, in the form prescribed by the commission, evidence that water from such well or wells has been put to beneficial use; except that this paragraph (a) does not apply to a well described in a conditional permit to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers.
(b) Such affidavit shall be prima facie evidence of the matters contained therein but shall be subject to objection by others, including ground water management districts, claiming to be injured thereby and to such verification and inquiry as the commission shall consider appropriate in each particular case.
(c) If such required affidavit is not furnished to the commission within the time and as provided in this subsection (2), the conditional permit shall expire and be of no force or effect except as provided in subsection (4) of this section.
(d) If the well described in a conditional permit issued to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers has been constructed in compliance with subsection (1) of this section, the applicant shall file a notice with the commission of commencement of beneficial use on a form prescribed by the commission within thirty days after the first beneficial use of any water withdrawn from the well.
(3) (a) (I) To the extent that the commission finds that water has been put to a beneficial use and that the other terms of the conditional permit have been complied with and after publication of the information required in the final permit, as provided in section 37-90-112, the commission shall order the state engineer to issue a final permit to use designated groundwater, containing such limitations and conditions as the commission deems necessary to prevent waste and to protect the rights of other appropriators. In determining the extent of beneficial use for the purpose of issuing final permits, the commission may use the same criteria for determining the amount of water used on each acre that has been irrigated that is used in evaluating the amount of water available for appropriation under section 37-90-107. This subparagraph (I) does not apply to a well described in a conditional permit issued to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers.
mission may use the same criteria for determining the amount of water used on each acre that has been irrigated that is used in evaluating the amount of water available for appropriation under section 37-90-107. This subparagraph (I) does not apply to a well described in a conditional permit issued to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers.
(II) A final permit is not required to be issued for a well described in a conditional permit to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers. For such a well, a conditional permit, subject to the conditions of issuance of such a permit, shall be considered a final determination of a well's water right if the well is in compliance with all other applicable requirements of this article.
(b) In determining the extent of beneficial use prior to the issuance of a final permit, the commission may either increase or decrease the quantity of water and the amount of irrigated acreage, if any, according to the evidence presented to the commission, but no increase shall be permitted which will increase the quantity of water beyond that authorized by the original decree, conditional permit, registration statement, or other well permit issued prior to basin designation or which otherwise will unreasonably affect the rights of other appropriators.
(c) Any owner of an existing valid conditional permit issued before July 1, 1978, may file with the commission an amended statement of beneficial use, in the form prescribed by the commission, on or before December 31, 1979, and not thereafter, if any such change occurred and was approved on or before August 5, 1977.
(4) The procedural requirement that a statement of beneficial use shall be filed shall apply to all permits wherein the water was put to beneficial use since May 17, 1965. If information pertaining to completion of the well as required in subsection (1) of this section has been received but evidence that water has been placed to beneficial use has not been received as of three years after the date of issuance of the conditional permit, the commission shall so notify the applicant by certified mail. The notice shall give the applicant the opportunity to submit proof that the water was put to beneficial use prior to three years after the date of issuance of the conditional permit. The proof must be received by the commission within twenty days after receipt of the notice by the applicant, and, if the conditional permit was issued on or after July 14, 1975, the proof must be accompanied by a filing fee of thirty dollars. If the commission finds the proof to be satisfactory, the conditional permit shall remain in force and effect. The commission shall consider any records of the commission and any evidence provided to the commission and all other matters set forth in this section in determining whether the conditional permit should remain in force and effect.
(5) (a) All final permits must set forth the following information as a minimum:
(I) The priority date;
(II) The name of the claimant;
(III) The quarter-quarter in which the well is located;
(IV) The maximum annual volume of the appropriation in acre-feet per year;
(V) The maximum pumping rate in gallons per minute; and
(VI) The maximum number of acres that have been irrigated, if used for irrigation.
l final permits must set forth the following information as a minimum:
(I) The priority date;
(II) The name of the claimant;
(III) The quarter-quarter in which the well is located;
(IV) The maximum annual volume of the appropriation in acre-feet per year;
(V) The maximum pumping rate in gallons per minute; and
(VI) The maximum number of acres that have been irrigated, if used for irrigation.
(b) Notwithstanding any rule of law to the contrary other than a change of use case under section 37-90-111 (1)(g), once the state engineer issues a final permit for the withdrawal of designated groundwater pursuant to this section, a reduction in the amount of water used pursuant to the permit due to the conservation of water is not grounds to reduce:
(I) The maximum annual volume of the appropriation in acre-feet per year;
(II) The maximum pumping rate in gallons per minute; or
(III) The maximum number of acres that have been irrigated, if used for irrigation.
(6) The procedural requirement that the well completion information required by subsection (1) of this section be furnished to the commission shall apply to all permits issued after May 17, 1965. If the well has been constructed within twenty-four months after the date of issuance of the permit where the permit was issued before June 7, 1979, or within twelve months after the date of issuance of the permit where the permit was issued on or after June 7, 1979, or by the expiration date of the permit, including any extension, but the completion information has not been furnished to the commission within six months after said allowable time for the well completion, the commission shall so notify the applicant by certified mail. The notice shall give the applicant the opportunity to submit proof that the well was completed within the time specified above or by the expiration date of the permit and to submit the information required by subsection (1) of this section and a showing that, due to excusable neglect, inadvertence, or mistake, the applicant failed to submit the evidence and information on time. The proof and information must be received by the commission within twenty days after receipt of the notice by the applicant and must be accompanied by a filing fee of thirty dollars. If the commission finds the proof to be satisfactory, the permit shall remain in force and effect. The commission shall consider any records of the commission and any evidence provided to the commission and all other matters set forth in this section in determining whether the permit should remain in force and effect.
(7) Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in this section, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or more of the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
C.R.S. § 37-90-109 Priority - discontinuance orders - grounds
37-90-109. Priority - discontinuance orders - grounds. (1) Priority of claims for the appropriation of designated groundwater shall be determined by the doctrine of prior appropriation. All claims based on actual taking of designated groundwater for beneficial use prior to May 17, 1965, shall be determined by the doctrine of prior appropriation and shall relate back to the date of placing designated groundwater to beneficial use. All claims for the beneficial use of designated groundwater initiated after May 17, 1965, shall relate back to the date of filing of an application with the commission, unless such application is rejected.
(2) In order to establish priority of a claim to appropriate designated groundwater which has existed prior to May 17, 1965, a priority date shall be awarded to each well based upon the time the water was first applied to a beneficial use. The date shown in the records now filed in the state engineer's office shall be prima facie evidence of the date the water was first applied to beneficial use. All wells constructed as replacements for or as supplements to original wells for the same beneficial use shall be considered as a unit and awarded a priority date of the earliest well.
(3) As soon as practical after the establishment of a designated groundwater basin, the commission shall establish tentative priority dates for the respective wells within such designated groundwater basin, or subdivisions thereof, in accordance with the information contained in its files. The commission may require such additional information from the well claimant as will permit it to make a proper determination of the priority date and may request such other information as is required to be set forth in a final permit pursuant to section 37-90-108 (5). If the claimant fails or refuses to furnish the requested information within a period of thirty days, the commission may proceed to make a determination from the records available.
(4) After establishing the proposed priority date and after receiving the information required by section 37-90-108 (5) for the final permit on claims for the beneficial use of designated groundwater, the commission shall order the state engineer to issue a final permit to appropriate designated groundwater in the manner and pursuant to the standards set forth in section 37-90-108 for final permits; except that a final permit is not required to be issued for a well described in a conditional permit issued on or after July 1, 1991, to withdraw designated groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers and except that this section shall not apply to any final priority lists established by the commission prior to January 1, 1985, and any final permits issued pursuant to said lists.
(5) and (6) Repealed.
C.R.S. § 37-90-110 Powers of the state engineer
37-90-110. Powers of the state engineer. (1) In the administration and enforcement of this article and in the effectuation of the policy of this state to conserve its groundwater resources and for the protection of vested rights, the state engineer, either in the state engineer's own capacity or as the executive director of the commission, is empowered:
(a) To require all flowing wells to be equipped with valves so that the flow of water can be controlled;
(b) To require both flowing and nonflowing wells to be so constructed and maintained as to prevent the waste of groundwaters through leaky wells, casings, pipes, fittings, valves, or pumps, either above or below the land surface;
(c) To go upon all lands, both public and private, for the purpose of inspecting wells, pumps, casings, pipes, fittings, and measuring devices, including wells used or claimed to be used for domestic or stock purposes;
(d) To order the cessation of the use of a well pending the correction of any defect that the state engineer has ordered corrected;
(e) To commence actions to enjoin the illegal opening or excavation of wells or withdrawal or use of water therefrom and to appear and become a party to any action or proceeding pending in any court or administrative agency when it appears that the determination of such action or proceeding might result in depletion of the groundwater resources of the state contrary to the public policy expressed in this article or might injure vested rights of other appropriators;
(f) To take such action as may be required to enforce compliance with any regulation, control, or order promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this article;
(g) To issue to the owners or users of wells pumping designated groundwater in the state such orders as are necessary to implement the provisions of this section and section 37-90-111. In addition to any other method of giving notice, the mailing of the order in a certified letter to the well owner or operator, together with the posting of a written order, in plain sight, at the well head, shall be considered sufficient notice of the order of the state engineer, and, when so posted, the order shall be effective from the time of posting.
(h) To administer the movement of water involved in any commission-issued replacement plan or plan for augmentation involving designated groundwater. In such administration, the state engineer shall issue such orders as are necessary and appropriate.
(i) To order any person supplying energy used to pump designated groundwater to provide, at reasonable times, records of energy used to pump groundwater. The state engineer may exercise this authority only in connection with an alleged violation of this article. Suppliers of energy used to pump groundwater shall not be required to maintain records of energy used to pump groundwater more than five years after the year in which the energy is consumed. Suppliers of energy used to pump groundwater shall be held harmless from any and all civil or criminal liability with respect to the transfer of records pursuant to this section. Nothing contained in this paragraph (i) shall affect any reporting requirements of the public utilities commission pursuant to section 40-3-110, C.R.S. This paragraph (i) shall not apply to any person diverting by means of a well described in section 37-90-105 (1)(a).
C.R.S. § 37-90-111 Powers of the ground water commission - limitations
37-90-111. Powers of the ground water commission - limitations. (1) In the administration and enforcement of this article and in the effectuation of the policy of this state to conserve its designated groundwater resources and for the protection of vested rights and except to the extent that similar authority is vested in ground water management districts pursuant to section 37-90-130 (2), the ground water commission is empowered:
(a) To supervise and control the exercise and administration of all rights acquired to the use of designated groundwater. In the exercise of this power it may, by summary order, prohibit or limit withdrawal of water from any well during any period that it determines that such withdrawal of water from said well would cause unreasonable injury to prior appropriators; except that nothing in this article shall be construed as entitling any prior designated groundwater appropriator to the maintenance of the historic water level or any other level below which water still can be economically extracted when the total economic pattern of the particular designated groundwater basin is considered; and further except that no such order shall take effect until six months after its entry.
(b) To establish a reasonable groundwater pumping level in an area having a common designated groundwater supply. Water in wells shall not be deemed available to fill the water right therefor if withdrawal therefrom of the amount called for by such right would, contrary to the declared policy of this article, unreasonably affect any prior water right or result in withdrawing the groundwater supply at a rate materially in excess of the reasonably anticipated average rate of future recharge.
(c) To issue permits for the construction of replacement wells. Any permits issued shall set forth the conditions under which a well may be modified by a change of the well itself or the pumping equipment therefor, by the drilling of a replacement well, or otherwise, in order to make it possible for the owner of a well to obtain the water to which such owner may be entitled by virtue of his original appropriation.
(d) In the exercise of any of the powers or duties conferred by this section, to confer and consult with the board of directors of the ground water management district board in the affected area, if any such board exists, before promulgating any orders or regulations which would affect the district in general;
(e) To order the total or partial discontinuance of any diversion within a groundwater basin to the extent the water being diverted is not necessary for application to a beneficial use;
(f) In any area where a ground water management district has not been formed, to prescribe satisfactory and economical measuring methods for the measurement of water levels in and the amount of water withdrawn from wells and to require reports to be made at the end of each pumping season showing the date and water level at the beginning of the pumping season, the date and water level at the end of the pumping season, and showing any period of more than thirty days' cessation of pumping during such pumping season;
measuring methods for the measurement of water levels in and the amount of water withdrawn from wells and to require reports to be made at the end of each pumping season showing the date and water level at the beginning of the pumping season, the date and water level at the end of the pumping season, and showing any period of more than thirty days' cessation of pumping during such pumping season;
(g) Upon application therefor by any permit holder, to authorize a change in acreage served, volume of appropriation, place, time, or type of use of and by any water right, or of any well location, either conditional or final, granted under the authority of the commission but only upon such terms and conditions as will not cause material injury to the vested rights of other appropriators. No such change that increases the volume of appropriation beyond that authorized by the original decree, conditional permit, registration statement, or other well permit issued prior to basin designation shall be authorized, and no such change shall be approved until after publication of such application as provided in section 37-90-112; except that publication shall not be required to approve a temporary change pursuant to the rules adopted by the commission and except that publication shall not be required for replacement wells that are relocated no further than the maximum distance allowed by district rules and regulations without prior board approval or by commission policy where no district exists or where no district rule has been adopted.
(h) To adopt rules necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.
(2) No supplemental wells or alternate point of diversion wells shall be allowed in any area of any designated groundwater basin in which the proposed well or wells combined would deplete the aquifer in excess of the rate of depletion prescribed by the ground water commission or by the ground water management district rules and regulations.
(3) In the exercise of any of the powers or duties conferred by this section, the commission shall confer and consult with the board of directors of the ground water management district board in the affected areas, if any such board exists, before promulgating any orders or regulations which would affect the district in general, and shall request written recommendations from the board of any existing district within which the conditional or final permit has been issued, before taking final action on any request or application made pursuant to this section.
(4) In any area within a designated groundwater basin which has not been included within the boundaries of a ground water management district, the commission has the authority to exercise any power given by this article to the board of directors of a ground water management district, but, before instituting control measures pursuant to section 37-90-130, the commission shall follow the procedures set out in section 37-90-131.
(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the commission shall allocate, upon the basis of ownership of the overlying land, any designated groundwater contained in the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers. Permits issued pursuant to this subsection (5) shall allow withdrawals on the basis of an aquifer life of one hundred years.
C.R.S. § 37-90-111.5 Well enforcement - injunction - fines
37-90-111.5. Well enforcement - injunction - fines. (1) (a) If an order of the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer issued pursuant to section 37-90-105, 37-90-107, 37-90-108, 37-90-110, or 37-90-130 (4) in relation to designated groundwater or pursuant to section 37-90-111 is not complied with, a ground water management district in its own name or the commission or state engineer in the name of the people of the state of Colorado, through the attorney general, shall apply to the district court in the county in which the water right or well is situated:
(I) For an injunction enjoining the person to whom such order was directed from continuing to violate the order. The term "injunction" includes a temporary restraining order and mandatory relief.
(II) To recover the civil penalties specified in paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of this section.
(b) In the proceeding, the prevailing party shall be entitled to the costs of the proceeding and reasonable attorney fees.
(2) In the case of an order with respect to the withdrawal of designated groundwater, the designated groundwater judge in ruling upon such injunction shall consider, depending on the basis for the order, whether the designated groundwater is being applied to a beneficial use, whether the withdrawal is causing or will cause injury to persons or entities owning or entitled to use water under vested water rights, and whether the withdrawal of designated groundwater is in violation of the statute; the rules adopted by the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer; or the well permit's terms and conditions. The commission, state engineer, and district shall coordinate enforcement actions to ensure that multiple actions are not filed with regard to the same violation or failure to comply.
(3) Any person who has an interest in the subject matter of such proceedings may intervene, if such intervention is timely and will not cause undue delay.
(4) In the case of a violation of an injunction issued under this section, the designated groundwater judge shall try and punish the offender for contempt of court. Such proceedings shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other penalties and remedies, public or private, provided by law.
(5) (a) (I) Any person who diverts designated groundwater contrary to a valid order of the commission or state engineer issued pursuant to section 37-90-105, 37-90-107, 37-90-108, 37-90-110, or 37-90-111, or in violation of rules adopted by the commission or state engineer shall forfeit and pay a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars for each day such violation continues.
(II) Any person who, when required to do so by rules adopted by the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer, fails to submit data as to the amounts of designated groundwater pumped from a well, makes a false or fictitious report of the amounts of designated groundwater pumped from a well, falsifies any data as to amounts pumped from a well, makes a false or fictitious report of a power coefficient for a well, or falsifies any power coefficient test shall forfeit and pay a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars for each violation; except that this subparagraph (II) does not apply to an order issued pursuant to section 37-90-110 (1)(i).
(III) It is unlawful for any person not authorized by the well owner, commission, or state engineer to willfully interfere with any power meter, totalizing flow meter, or other device used to measure designated groundwater diversions. Any person who willfully damages a power meter, totalizing flow meter, or other device used to measure designated groundwater diversions or who tampers with or falsifies any record made or being made by any such power meter, totalizing flow meter, or other device shall forfeit and pay a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars for each violation.
ce used to measure designated groundwater diversions. Any person who willfully damages a power meter, totalizing flow meter, or other device used to measure designated groundwater diversions or who tampers with or falsifies any record made or being made by any such power meter, totalizing flow meter, or other device shall forfeit and pay a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars for each violation.
(IV) This paragraph (a) shall not apply to any person diverting by means of a well described in section 37-90-105 (1)(a).
(b) The state engineer shall transmit all fines collected for violations of paragraph (a) of this subsection (5) to the state treasurer, who shall deposit them in the water resources cash fund created in section 37-80-111.7 (1); except that a ground water management district shall collect and retain the fines for a violation of an order or rule of the ground water management district.
(6) Any person required by a valid order of the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer, or by existing rules of the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer, to cease diversions of designated groundwater or replace depletions caused by diversions of designated groundwater, and whose failure to adhere to the order or rule results in the violation of an interstate compact, is liable for all direct, actual, and necessary expenses incurred by the state of Colorado in performing any action, including the purchase of water or payment of damages, necessary for the state of Colorado to remedy the violation of such compact. The ground water management district in its own name or the commission or state engineer in the name of the people of the state of Colorado, through the attorney general, shall apply to the district court in the county in which the water right or well is situated to recover such expenses. If the ground water management district, commission, or state engineer prevails, the court shall also award the costs of the proceeding and reasonable attorney fees.
C.R.S. § 37-90-112 Notice - publication
37-90-112. Notice - publication. (1) When any notice is required to be published under any section of this article, including notice of elections, it shall be deemed to mean a publication in a newspaper of general circulation in each of the counties concerned. Publication of all notices shall be once each week for two successive weeks. The notice shall state the hour and date of the commencement of hearings on the subject matter of the notice; the place at which the hearings will be held; the place where written objections may be filed; and the final date by which written objections will be received; or, if for an election, the date, hours, and polling places.
(2) All objections, either to the published notice or any matter contained therein, shall be in writing and shall briefly state the nature of the objection and shall be filed within the time and at the place designated in the notice.
(3) The time for filing any written objections to notices described in this article shall extend to thirty days following the last publication of the notice.
C.R.S. § 37-90-113 Hearings
37-90-113. Hearings. (1) Hearings on all matters to be heard by the commission shall be held within the boundaries of the designated groundwater basin and within the ground water management district, if one exists, in which the water rights directly involved are situated or at such other place as may be designated by the commission for the convenience of, and as agreed to by, the parties involved. The hearings shall be conducted before the commission under reasonable rules and regulations of procedure prescribed by it. All parties to the hearing, including the commission, have the right to subpoena witnesses, who shall be sworn by the chairman or acting chairman of the commission to testify under oath at the hearing. All parties to the hearing shall be entitled to be heard either in person or by attorney.
(2) In any hearings required to be conducted by the commission, it may, in its discretion, have such hearings conducted before such agent as it may designate, either alone or in conjunction with the appearance of the commission if the agent is technically qualified to conduct or assist in such hearings. Unless agreed otherwise by all parties to a hearing or unless ordered otherwise by the commission due to extenuating circumstances, a hearing pursuant to this section shall be held within one hundred eighty days after the filing of a request for such a hearing. Appeals of rulings of the agent designated by the commission shall be reviewed at any regular or special commission meeting at the location chosen by the commission for that meeting.
(3) At any hearing or proceedings conducted or authorized by the commission affecting any water rights, either existing or potential, within any ground water management district, the commission shall receive and fully consider the testimony and recommendations of the board of directors or authorized agents of said district, if such testimony and recommendations are offered on behalf of the affected district.
(4) In addition to any authority established by rule by the commission for commission matters to be referred to alternative dispute resolution, the commission or an agent designated by the commission pursuant to subsection (2) of this section may refer a matter before the commission to alternative dispute resolution pursuant to section 13-22-313.
C.R.S. § 37-90-114 Other administrative hearings
37-90-114. Other administrative hearings. Any person claiming to be injured within the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin by any act of the state engineer or commission under the provisions of this article, or the failure of the state engineer or commission to take any action under the provisions of this article, except as provided for the small capacity wells in section 37-90-105, shall file a written petition with the commission stating the basis of the alleged injury. Thereafter, only upon request by a petitioner and upon thirty-five days' written notice to any adverse party, the commission shall conduct a hearing upon the petition in the manner provided in section 37-90-113. If notice of any such act has been published pursuant to section 37-90-112 and no hearing has been requested pursuant to such notice, this section shall not be construed to create a subsequent or additional right to request a hearing concerning such act.
C.R.S. § 37-90-115 Judicial review of actions of the ground water commission or the state engineer
37-90-115. Judicial review of actions of the ground water commission or the state engineer. (1) (a) Any party, including a ground water management district, adversely affected or aggrieved by any decision or act of the ground water commission, except for the adoption of rules, under the provisions of this article or by a decision or act of the state engineer under section 37-90-110 may take an appeal to the district court in the county wherein the water rights or wells involved are situated.
(b) (I) The notice of such appeal shall be served by the appellant upon the state engineer or the commission and all interested parties within thirty-five days after the notice of such decision or act and, unless such appeal is taken within said time, the action of the state engineer or the commission shall be final and conclusive. For purposes of service only, "all interested parties" shall be limited to those parties which appeared at, and were granted party status in, any administrative hearing held by the commission or state engineer concerning the decision or act from which the appeal is taken. If no administrative hearing has been held, notice of such appeal shall be given by publication pursuant to section 37-90-112.
(II) Notice of such appeal, proof of service, and docketing of the appeal in the district court shall be accomplished in the same manner as any other civil suit originally commenced in the district courts of this state. Costs shall be charged to the appellant as in any other civil suit.
(III) A district court shall review the commission's or state engineer's decision or action de novo, considering only evidence that was taken in the administrative proceeding appealed from and included in the record. The district court shall consider evidence in its determination of the matter if the evidence:
(A) Was wrongly excluded at the administrative proceeding; or
(B) Existed at the time of the administrative proceeding but was discovered after the administrative proceeding and, in the exercise of good faith and reasonable diligence, could not have been made available and offered at the administrative proceeding.
(IV) It is the duty of the commission or the state engineer, upon being served with a notice of appeal pursuant to this section, to transmit to the district court to which the appeal is taken the papers, maps, plats, field notes, orders, decisions, and other available data affecting the matter in controversy or certified copies thereof, which certified copies shall be admitted in evidence as of equal validity with the originals.
(V) For the purpose of maximizing continuity in the disposition of designated groundwater cases, on or before January 10 of each year, the supreme court shall designate or redesignate a designated groundwater judge for each designated groundwater basin, who shall be selected from a judicial district within which some part of that designated groundwater basin lies, and any vacancy that occurs during such year shall be filled by designation of the supreme court. The services of each designated groundwater judge shall be in addition to such judge's regular duties as a district judge but shall take priority over such regular duties, and the schedules of the district judges in each such judicial district shall be arranged and adjusted so that the designated groundwater judge shall be free to hear designated groundwater cases. All cases relating to designated groundwater which are filed in each judicial district shall be assigned to the designated groundwater judge, and all proceedings regarding said cases shall be heard by the designated groundwater judge. If it becomes necessary during any year for the proper handling of designated groundwater cases in any judicial district, the supreme court shall designate one or more additional designated groundwater judges from that judicial district or may make temporary assignments of other judges to hear such cases.
and all proceedings regarding said cases shall be heard by the designated groundwater judge. If it becomes necessary during any year for the proper handling of designated groundwater cases in any judicial district, the supreme court shall designate one or more additional designated groundwater judges from that judicial district or may make temporary assignments of other judges to hear such cases.
(2) Any party adversely affected or aggrieved by a rule adopted by the ground water commission may take an appeal pursuant to section 24-4-106, C.R.S.
C.R.S. § 37-90-116 Fees
37-90-116. Fees. (1) The state engineer or the commission shall collect the following fees:
(a) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, with an application for the use of groundwater, one hundred dollars, which sum shall not be refunded.
(b) Repealed.
(c) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, for issuing a permit to modify or replace an existing well, one hundred dollars.
(d) For making a copy of a document filed in his office, fifty cents per page or fraction thereof;
(e) For certifying copies of documents, records, or maps, two dollars for each certification;
(f) The actual expenses of publication, if any is required, which sums shall be promptly billed to the applicant and paid prior to the approval of any permit or other application, unless the commission requires the applicant to pay these expenses directly to the newspaper, and the applicant provides a proof of such payment to the commission. All fees for publication expenses collected by the state engineer or by the commission shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit them to the water resources cash fund created in section 37-80-111.7 (1).
(g) With an objection to an application for the use of groundwater, ten dollars, which sum shall not be refunded;
(h) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, with an application for any change in a well permit, whether conditional or final, submitted pursuant to section 37-90-111 (1)(g), one hundred dollars, which sum shall not be refunded.
(i) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, with a request to extend the expiration date on a well permit, other than a well permit issued pursuant to section 37-90-105, sixty dollars.
(2) Departments and agencies of the state of Colorado that own and operate wells on state land are exempt from the payment of fees for applications for the use of groundwater or for a permit to construct a well.
(3) Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in subsection (1) of this section, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or more of the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
C.R.S. § 37-90-117 Water conservation board - duties
37-90-117. Water conservation board - duties. The Colorado water conservation board has the power, and it is its duty, to investigate and determine the nature and extent of the groundwater resources of the state of Colorado. It is also the duty of said board to study and determine the effect, if any, of the withdrawal of groundwater upon aquifer supply and upon the surface flow of streams, and the information obtained thereby shall be made available to the state engineer and the ground water commission and any designated ground water management district. Nothing in this section shall be construed as impairing the authority of the state engineer, the ground water commission, or any ground water management district to make such investigation as it may find necessary or desirable to enable it to perform its duties under this article.
C.R.S. § 37-90-118 Ground water management districts - formation
37-90-118. Ground water management districts - formation. Within areas determined as designated groundwater basins by action of the commission in accordance with section 37-90-106, ground water management districts may be formed in the manner, and having the power, provided in sections 37-90-118 to 37-90-135; but no district shall be organized unless all groundwater aquifers containing designated groundwater within the geographic boundaries of the district have been included as a part of the district by the commission.
C.R.S. § 37-90-119 Creation of districts - proposal - submission - changes - proposed boundaries
37-90-119. Creation of districts - proposal - submission - changes - proposed boundaries. A proposal for the formation of a designated ground water management district must be first submitted to the ground water commission, which shall make a hydrologic, geographic, and geologic evaluation of the proposed boundaries and recommend any changes in such boundaries as are indicated by such evaluation. No further steps for the formation of such district shall be taken until the commission, in writing, gives its consent to the boundaries thereof. The commission shall give either its consent or disapproval of the proposed boundaries within ninety days after the proposal has been submitted to it.
C.R.S. § 37-90-120 Management districts - petition - signatures required - filing
37-90-120. Management districts - petition - signatures required - filing. Following receipt of the consent required by section 37-90-119, a petition calling for formation of the proposed district may be filed with the commission. The petition shall be signed by not less than fifteen percent of the taxpaying electors within the proposed district.
C.R.S. § 37-90-121 Management districts - petition - contents - minor defects - amendment
37-90-121. Management districts - petition - contents - minor defects - amendment. (1) The petition referred to in section 37-90-120 shall set forth:
(a) The name of the proposed district and boundaries thereof;
(b) A proposed division of the district into divisions as nearly equal in size as may be practicable, and considering the population thereof, each of which is to be represented by a director, who shall be a resident taxpaying elector in such division or reside within the designated groundwater basin within which the district is located and be a resident agriculturist who owns and actively farms or ranches land located within such division;
(c) The number of directors that the district shall have if formed, not less than five nor more than fifteen in number, together with the name and address of each of the proposed directors, the division to be represented by each of them, and their terms of office, which shall be so designated that approximately one-half of them shall expire on the first Tuesday in March of the second year after the organization of the district is completed, and the remainder of them on the first Tuesday in March of the fourth year after the organization of the district is completed;
(d) Where the offices of such proposed district are to be maintained; and
(e) A prayer that the organization of the district be submitted to a vote of the taxpaying electors as provided in section 37-90-124.
(2) No petition for the organization of a district with the requisite signatures shall be declared null and void on account of minor defects, but the commission may at any time, prior to final determination of the sufficiency thereof, permit the petition to be amended in form to conform to the facts. Several similar petitions or duplicate copies of the same petition for the organization of the same district may be filed and shall together be regarded as one petition. All petitions, filed prior to the determination of the sufficiency of such petition, shall be considered as though filed with the first petition placed on file.
C.R.S. § 37-90-122 Management district - petition - certification of signatures - hearing - notice - publication
37-90-122. Management district - petition - certification of signatures - hearing - notice - publication. The commission shall examine the petition, and, if it finds that it bears the requisite number of signatures and otherwise meets the stated requirements, it shall thereupon set a date for hearing upon such petition and shall cause notice of such hearing, together with a copy of such petition, to be published, the final publication being not less than ten days nor more than thirty days prior to the date set for such hearing. The cost of such publication shall be paid by the petitioners and shall be advanced by them prior to publication.
C.R.S. § 37-90-123 Management districts - hearing - objections - change of boundaries
37-90-123. Management districts - hearing - objections - change of boundaries. At the time set for such hearing, the commission shall examine the petition and hear objections thereto and may order changes in the boundaries thereof by the inclusion or removal of land therefrom upon finding that such change would be hydrologically, geologically, and geographically sound. The action of the commission may be reviewed by the district court in appeal proceedings filed within twenty days after its decision has been announced, which decision shall be announced within ninety days after the hearing.
C.R.S. § 37-90-124 Election on organization
37-90-124. Election on organization. (1) If, after the completion of the hearing on the feasibility of the organization of a district, it is determined that such district shall be organized, the commission shall forthwith make an order allowing the prayer of the petition, and, by order duly entered upon its record, shall call an election of the taxpaying electors in the district for the purpose of determining whether such district shall be organized, and shall set the date for such election.
(2) The commission shall thereupon publish a notice, the final publication to be not less than ten days nor more than thirty days immediately preceding the election, which notice shall state: The fact of filing of the petition; in summary form, the information required by section 37-90-121 (1) to be included in the petition; that an election will be held to decide the question of organization of the proposed district; the date of such election; the polling places at which such election is to be held; the qualifications of those eligible to vote at such election; and the specific question to be submitted.
(3) The commission shall appoint three taxpaying electors of the district as judges for each designated polling place. The election shall be held and conducted as nearly as may be in the same manner as general elections in this state. There shall be no special registration for such election, but, for the purpose of determining qualifications of electors, the judges shall be permitted to use the last official registration lists of electors residing in the district and a certified list of taxpayers in the district prepared by the county treasurer and, in addition, may require the execution of an affidavit concerning the qualification of any such taxpaying elector to vote.
(4) At such election the voters shall vote for or against the organization of the district. The judges of each polling place shall certify the returns of the election to the ground water commission. If a majority of votes cast at said election are against the organization of the district, the commission shall forthwith dismiss the petition, and no election shall be held on the original petition or another petition for organization of the same district within one year of such dismissal.
(5) If a majority of the votes cast at said election are for the organization of said district, the commission, by order duly entered of record, shall declare the district organized, define the boundaries thereof, and give it the corporate name designated in the petition by which in all proceedings it shall thereafter be known and designate the members of the first board of directors, as named in the organization petition and the districts they represent. Thereupon the district shall be a governmental subdivision of the state of Colorado and a body corporate with all the powers of a public or quasi-municipal corporation.
C.R.S. § 37-90-125 Filing decree
37-90-125. Filing decree. Within thirty days after the district has been declared a corporation by the commission, it shall transmit to the county clerk and recorder of each of the counties in which the district or a part thereof extends copies of the decree of the commission incorporating the district.
C.R.S. § 37-90-126 Management district - directors - qualifications - oath or affirmation - bond - vacancies
37-90-126. Management district - directors - qualifications - oath or affirmation - bond - vacancies. The members of the board of directors shall meet the qualifications established in section 37-90-121 (1)(b). Each member of the board shall take an oath or affirmation in accordance with section 24-12-101, shall give bond in the sum of five thousand dollars conditioned that he or she shall faithfully perform the duties of director and of such further office to which he or she may be elected in such district, and shall account for all funds or property coming into his or her hands as such director or other officer. Such bonds shall run to the district, shall be signed by a surety approved by the ground water commission, and shall be filed and recorded in the office of the state engineer. When such bond is so filed and approved, such person so elected shall take and hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified. When a vacancy occurs on the board, such vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the board.
C.R.S. § 37-90-127 Management district - directors - election - term of office
37-90-127. Management district - directors - election - term of office. As the terms of the members of the board of directors expire, their successors shall be nominated by petitions containing the signatures of not less than fifteen percent of the number of qualified taxpaying electors of the division who voted at the last preceding district election, to be filed with the secretary of the district not less than thirty-five days before the election; thereafter, the members shall be elected for terms of four years by the plurality vote of the taxpaying electors of the division of the district which they represent. Such elections shall be held on the first Tuesday in February preceding the expiration of such terms and shall be conducted by the district board in the general manner prescribed in section 37-90-124.
C.R.S. § 37-90-128 Management district - directors - no compensation - expenses
37-90-128. Management district - directors - no compensation - expenses. The members of the board of directors shall receive no compensation but shall be paid their actual expenses while engaged in the business of such district.
C.R.S. § 37-90-129 Management district - officers - election
37-90-129. Management district - officers - election. The board of directors shall annually elect a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and such other officers as may be necessary.
C.R.S. § 37-90-130 Management districts - board of directors - enforcement
37-90-130. Management districts - board of directors - enforcement. (1) The district board has the duty and responsibility of consulting with the commission on all groundwater matters affecting the district to determine whether proposed restrictions or regulations are suitable for such area, to determine in conjunction with the commission whether the area of the district should be enlarged or contracted, to cooperate with the commission and the state engineer in the assembling of data on the groundwater aquifers in the area and the enforcement of regulations or restrictions which may be imposed thereon, and to assist the commission and the state engineer to the end of conserving the groundwater supplies of the area for the maximum beneficial use thereof.
(2) After the issuance of any well permit for the use of groundwater within the district by the ground water commission as provided in sections 37-90-107 and 37-90-108, the district board has the authority to regulate the use, control, and conservation of the groundwater of the district covered by such permit by any one or more of the following methods, but the proposed controls, regulations, or conservation measures shall be subject to review and final approval by the ground water commission if objection is made in accordance with section 37-90-131:
(a) To provide for the spacing of wells producing from the groundwater aquifer or subdivision thereof and to regulate the production therefrom so as to minimize as far as practicable the lowering of the water table or the reduction of the artesian pressure;
(b) To acquire lands for the erection of dams and for the purpose of draining lakes, draws, and depressions, and to construct dams, drain lakes, depressions, draws, and creeks, and to install pumps and other equipment necessary to recharge the groundwater reservoir or subdivision thereof;
(c) To develop comprehensive plans for the most efficient use of the water of the groundwater aquifer or subdivision thereof and for the control and prevention of waste of such water, which plans shall specify in such detail as may be practicable the acts, procedure, performance, and avoidance which are or may be necessary to effect such plans, including specifications therefor; to carry out research projects, develop information, and determine limitations, if any, which should be made on the withdrawal of water from the groundwater aquifer or subdivisions thereof; to collect and preserve information regarding the use of such water and the practicability of recharge of the groundwater aquifer; and to publish such plans and information and bring them to the notice and attention of the users of such groundwater within the district and to encourage their adoption and execution;
(d) To require the owner or operator of any land in the district upon which is located any open or uncovered well to close or cap the same permanently with a covering capable of sustaining weight of not less than four hundred pounds, except when said well is in actual use by the owner or operator thereof;
(e) To promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the purpose of conserving, preserving, protecting, and recharging the groundwater of the groundwater aquifer or subdivision thereof, in conformity with the provisions of this article;
(f) To prohibit, after affording an opportunity for a hearing before the board of the local district and presentation of evidence, the use of groundwater outside the boundaries of the district where such use materially affects the rights acquired by permit by any owner or operator of land within the district;
(g) In the control and administration of the quantity of groundwater extracted from the aquifer, to adopt such devices, procedures, measures, or methods as it deems appropriate to effectuate this purpose;
n of evidence, the use of groundwater outside the boundaries of the district where such use materially affects the rights acquired by permit by any owner or operator of land within the district;
(g) In the control and administration of the quantity of groundwater extracted from the aquifer, to adopt such devices, procedures, measures, or methods as it deems appropriate to effectuate this purpose;
(h) To promulgate reasonable rules and regulations with respect to the protection and compensation of the owners of any small capacity wells as defined in section 37-90-105 which may be injured by irrigation wells;
(i) To represent the district at any hearings or proceedings conducted or authorized by the commission affecting any water rights, either actual or potential, within the district;
(j) To exercise such other administrative and regulatory authority concerning the groundwaters of the district as, without the existence of the district, would otherwise be exercised by the ground water commission.
(3) All special and regular meetings of the board shall be held at locations which are within the boundaries of the district or which are within the boundaries of any county in which the district is located, in whole or in part, or in any county so long as the meeting location does not exceed twenty miles from the district boundaries. The provisions of this subsection (3) may be waived only if the following criteria are met:
(a) The proposed change of location of a meeting of the board appears on the agenda of a regular or special meeting of the board; and
(b) A resolution is adopted by the board stating the reason for which a meeting of the board is to be held in a location other than under the provisions of this subsection (3) and further stating the date, time, and place of such meeting.
(4) (a) After the issuance of any well permit within the district, the district has the authority to enforce compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit, the district's rules, and an order issued by the district concerning the well and issued pursuant to this article governing the use of the groundwater allowed by the permit to ensure that the use is within the scope of what is allowed by this article, the district's rules, an order issued by the district concerning the well and issued pursuant to this article, and the well permit.
(b) The district may proceed pursuant to section 37-90-111.5 against a well owner who does not comply with an order issued under paragraph (a) of this subsection (4).
(c) A ground water management district shall provide notice of an order in a manner consistent with the local district's rules. In the absence of a local rule regarding notice, in addition to any other method of giving notice, the mailing of the order in a certified letter to the well owner or operator is sufficient notice of the order of the ground water management district. In the case of circumstances warranting an emergency injunctive proceeding, mailing of the order in a certified letter to the well owner or operator, together with the posting of a written order in plain sight at the well head, is sufficient notice of the order of the ground water management district. The order to the well owner or operator becomes effective on the date of posting in the case of posting at the well head or three days after the certified letter is placed in the United States mail in the case of the certified letter. Except in the case of circumstances warranting an emergency injunctive proceeding, a ground water management district shall allow an alleged violator not less than seven days after the effective date of the order to cure an alleged violation before filing suit in district court.
C.R.S. § 37-90-131 Management district - board of directors - control measures - hearing - notice - publication - order
37-90-131. Management district - board of directors - control measures - hearing - notice - publication - order. (1) (a) Whenever the board of directors determines that controls, regulations, or conservation measures are necessary in order to ensure the proper conservation of groundwater within the district, it shall confer with the ground water commission and groundwater users within the district. No such measures or regulations shall be instituted until after a public hearing. Notice of such hearing shall be published. Such notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and in general terms the corrective measures or regulations proposed. Within sixty-three days after such hearing, the board shall announce the measures or regulations ordered to be taken and shall cause notice of such action to be published. The board has the authority to compel compliance with such measures or regulations by an action brought in the district court of the county in which any failure to comply is found to exist.
(b) Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by the announcement of control or conservation measures or regulations adopted by the district board may appeal such decision to the ground water commission by filing a notice of appeal and the grounds therefor with the commission not later than thirty-five days after the date of last publication. The commission shall hear all such appeals pursuant to section 37-90-113. The commission shall have authority to affirm or reject the measures or regulations adopted by the district or to modify such measures or regulations but only upon consent from the district board. Judicial review of commission actions in such appeals may be taken pursuant to section 37-90-115.
(c) Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an act of the district board, other than the announcement of control or conservation measures or regulations, has the right to be heard by the board. Such person shall file a written request for a hearing that states the basis of the alleged injury. Unless agreed otherwise by all parties to a hearing or unless otherwise approved by the district due to extenuating circumstances, a hearing shall be held within one hundred eighty-two days after filing the request for such a hearing. Upon thirty-five days' written notice to all adverse parties, the district shall conduct a hearing upon the matter. Hearing procedures shall be as informal as possible, with due regard for the rights of the parties. All parties shall have the right to subpoena witnesses and to be heard either in person or by attorney. The district board may have such hearings conducted before an agent or hearing officer. After such hearing, the district board shall issue a written decision containing its findings and conclusions and shall serve its decision upon all parties by first-class mail. Judicial review of such district decisions may be taken in the manner and governed by the standards set forth for review of commission and state engineer decisions in section 37-90-115.
(2) Subject to review by the ground water commission pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the board may institute control measures or regulations to prescribe satisfactory and economical measuring methods for the measurement of water levels in and the amount of water withdrawn from wells and to require reports to be made at the end of each pumping season showing the date and water level at the beginning of the pumping season, the date and water level at the end of the pumping season, and any period of more than thirty-five days cessation of pumping during such pumping season.
C.R.S. § 37-90-132 Management district - board of directors - taxes - levy - limitation
37-90-132. Management district - board of directors - taxes - levy - limitation. The board of directors may levy and collect annually taxes necessary to finance the activities of such district to the amount of not more than two mills on the dollar of the valuation for assessment of all taxable property within the district. It shall, in accordance with the schedule prescribed by section 39-5-128, C.R.S., certify its mill levy to the board of county commissioners of the counties wholly or partially within the district, who shall extend the same on the county tax list, and the same shall be collected by the county treasurer in the same manner as state and county taxes are collected. In addition, annually the board of directors of the district may assess and certify a special assessment on all water wells, except those wells described in section 37-90-105, in the district not to exceed fifteen cents per acre-foot of the maximum annual volume of the appropriation of each such well. Said assessment shall be collected by the county treasurer in the same manner as other special assessments. It is the duty of the board to apply for and to receive from the county treasurers all money to the credit of the district.
C.R.S. § 37-90-133 Management district - claims - warrants - payment
37-90-133. Management district - claims - warrants - payment. All claims against ground water management districts may be paid by warrants or orders, duly drawn against the district, as authorized by the board.
C.R.S. § 37-90-134 Management district - issuance of bonds - indebtedness - submission to electors
37-90-134. Management district - issuance of bonds - indebtedness - submission to electors. (1) To pay for the construction, operation, and maintenance of any works, and expenses preliminary and incidental thereto, which the board is authorized to construct for the benefit of the district, the board is authorized to enter into contracts providing for payment in installments or to issue negotiable bonds of the district. If bonds are authorized, the same shall bear interest at a rate such that the net effective interest rate of the issue does not exceed the maximum net effective interest rate authorized, payable semiannually, and shall be due and payable not more than fifty years from their dates. The form, terms, and provisions of said bonds or contracts, provisions for their payment, and conditions for their retirement and calling, not inconsistent with law, shall be vested and determined by the board, and they shall be issued in payment of the works, equipment, expenses, and interest during and after the period of construction. Said bonds or contracts shall be executed in the name of and on behalf of the district and signed by the president of the board, the seal of the district affixed thereto and attested by the secretary of the board. Said bonds or contracts must be in such denominations or upon such conditions as the board determines and shall be payable to bearer and may be registered in the office of the county treasurer of each of the counties wherein the district or part of it is situated, with the interest coupons payable to bearer, which shall bear the facsimile signature of the president of the board. Bond interest shall be exempt from all state, county, municipal, school, and other taxes imposed by any taxing authority of the state of Colorado and shall not be sold at less than par and accrued interest.
(2) Whenever the board incorporated under this article, by resolution adopted by majority of said board, determines that the interests of said district and the public interest or necessity demand the acquisition, construction, or completion of any source of water supply, waterworks, or other improvements or facilities, or the making of any contract with the United States or other persons or corporations, to carry out the objects and purposes of said district, wherein the indebtedness or obligation is created, to satisfy which shall require a greater expenditure than the ordinary annual income and revenue of the district permits, said board shall order the submission of the proposition of incurring such obligation or bonded or other indebtedness for the purposes set forth in said resolution to the qualified taxpaying electors of the district at an election held for that purpose. Any election held for the purpose of submitting any proposition of incurring such obligation or indebtedness may be held separately or may be consolidated or held concurrently with any other election authorized by law at which such qualified taxpaying electors of the district are entitled to vote. Notice of the resolution and election shall be published in a form sufficient to apprise the taxpaying electors of the objects and purposes for which the indebtedness is proposed to be incurred, the estimated cost of the works or improvement, the amount of principal of the indebtedness to be incurred therefor, and the maximum rate of interest to be paid on such indebtedness. Such resolution and notice shall also fix the date upon which such election shall be held, the manner of holding the same, and the method of voting for or against the incurring of the proposed indebtedness. Such election shall be held in the same general manner as in this article provided for the election of directors. The bond issue or indebtedness proposed shall not be valid unless a majority of those voting at the election held for that purpose vote in favor of such bond issue or indebtedness in accordance with the terms of the resolution.
C.R.S. § 37-90-135 Management district - dissolution - procedure - funds - disposition
37-90-135. Management district - dissolution - procedure - funds - disposition. If there are no debts outstanding, the board of directors may, on its own motion or on the written petition of twenty percent of the taxpaying electors of the district, request of the ground water commission that the question of dissolution of such district be submitted to the electors of the district. The commission shall fix the date of such election, notice of which shall be given and which shall be conducted in the same manner as elections for the formation of such districts. If a majority of those voting on such question vote in favor of dissolution, the commission shall so certify to the county clerk and recorders of the counties involved and the district shall thereupon be dissolved. The question of dissolution shall not be submitted more often than once every twelve months. In case a district is dissolved the funds on hand or to be collected shall be held by the treasurer, and the directors shall petition the district court of the county in which the main office is located for an order approving the distribution of funds to the taxpayers of the district on the same basis as collected.
C.R.S. § 37-90-136 Unlawful to divert water for application outside of state
37-90-136. Unlawful to divert water for application outside of state. (Repealed)
C.R.S. § 37-90-137 Permits to construct wells outside designated basins - fees - permit no groundwater right - evidence - time limitation - well permits - rules
37-90-137. Permits to construct wells outside designated basins - fees - permit no groundwater right - evidence - time limitation - well permits - rules. (1) (a) On and after May 17, 1965, a new well shall not be constructed outside the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin, and the supply of water from existing wells outside the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin shall not be increased or extended unless the user makes an application in writing to the state engineer for a permit to construct a well, in a form prescribed by the state engineer.
(b) The applicant shall specify in the application described in subsection (1)(a) of this section:
(I) The particular aquifer from which the water is to be diverted;
(II) The proposed beneficial use for the water;
(III) The location of the proposed well;
(IV) The name of the owner of the land on which the proposed well will be located;
(V) The average annual amount of water applied for in acre-feet per year;
(VI) The proposed maximum pumping rate in gallons per minute; and
(VII) If the proposed use is agricultural irrigation, a description of the land to be irrigated, the name of the owner of the land, and any other reasonable information that the state engineer designates on the form prescribed.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (1) to the contrary, the requirements of this subsection (1) do not apply to wells constructed pursuant to an operations permit issued by the energy and carbon management commission pursuant to section 37-90.5-106 (1)(b).
(2) (a) (I) Repealed.
(II) Effective July 1, 2006, upon receipt of an application for a replacement well or a new, increased, or additional supply of groundwater from an area outside the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin, accompanied by a filing fee of one hundred dollars, the state engineer shall make a determination as to whether or not the exercise of the requested permit will materially injure the vested water rights of others.
(b) (I) The state engineer shall issue a permit to construct a well only if:
(A) The state engineer finds, as substantiated by hydrological and geological facts, that there is unappropriated water available for withdrawal by the proposed well and that the vested water rights of others will not be materially injured; and
(B) Except as specified in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (b), the location of the proposed well will be more than six hundred feet from an existing well.
(II) If the state engineer, after a hearing, finds that circumstances in a particular instance so warrant, or if a court decree is entered for the proposed well location after notice has been given in accordance with sub-subparagraph (B) of this subparagraph (II), the state engineer may issue a permit without regard to the limitation specified in sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b); except that no hearing shall be required and the state engineer may issue a well permit without regard to the limitation specified in sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b):
(A) If the state engineer notifies the owners of all wells within six hundred feet of the proposed well by certified mail and receives no response within the time set forth in the notice;
(B) If the proposed well is part of a water court proceeding adjudicating the water right for the well, or if the proposed well is part of an adjudication of a plan for augmentation or change of water right and if evidence is provided to the water court that the applicant has given notice of the water court application, at least fourteen days before making the application, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owners of record of all wells within six hundred feet of the proposed well;
posed well is part of an adjudication of a plan for augmentation or change of water right and if evidence is provided to the water court that the applicant has given notice of the water court application, at least fourteen days before making the application, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owners of record of all wells within six hundred feet of the proposed well;
(C) If the proposed well will serve an individual residential site and the proposed pumping rate will not exceed fifteen gallons per minute; except that, if there is an oil and gas well within six hundred feet of the surface location of the proposed well, the state engineer shall notify the owner of such well by certified mail of the proposed well and may issue the well permit subject to the limitations specified in sub-subparagraph (A) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b);
(D) If the proposed well is an oil and gas well and the only wells within six hundred feet of the surface location of the proposed well are oil and gas wells; or
(E) If the proposed well is an oil and gas well, there is an existing production water well that is not an oil and gas well within six hundred feet of the surface location of the proposed oil and gas well, the state engineer has provided written notice of the application by certified mail to the owners of such wells that are not oil and gas wells within thirty-five days after receipt of a complete application for the proposed well, and the state engineer has given those to whom notice was provided thirty-five days after the date of mailing of such notice to file comments on the proposed well's application.
(c) The permit shall set forth such conditions for drilling, casing, and equipping wells and other diversion facilities as are reasonably necessary to prevent waste, pollution, or material injury to existing rights.
(d) (I) The state engineer shall endorse upon the application the date of its receipt, file and preserve such application, and make a record of such receipt and the issuance of the permit in his office so indexed as to be useful in determining the extent of the uses made from various groundwater sources.
(II) The state engineer shall act upon an application filed under this section within forty-five days after its receipt.
(3) (a) (I) A permit to construct a well outside the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin issued on or after April 21, 1967, shall expire one year after issuance unless, before the expiration and on forms as may be prescribed by the state engineer, the applicant to whom the permit was issued, or the well construction contractor, furnishes to the state engineer:
(A) Evidence that the well was constructed and that the pump was installed; or
(B) A showing of good cause as to why the well has not been constructed nor the pump installed and an estimate of time necessary to complete the tasks, upon which the state engineer may extend the permit for only one additional period, not to exceed one year. The limitation on the extension of well permits provided in this sub-subparagraph (B) shall not apply to well permits for federally authorized water projects contained in paragraph (d) of this subsection (3). The state engineer shall charge a fee of two hundred dollars for the extension; except that, on and after July 1, 2006, the state engineer shall charge a fee of sixty dollars for the extension.
(II) If the requirements of section 37-92-301 are met, the expiration of any permit pursuant to this paragraph (a) associated with a conditional groundwater right shall not be the sole basis to determine the existence of reasonable diligence toward completion of such conditional water right.
(III) The state engineer may require the metering or other reasonable measurement of withdrawals of groundwater pursuant to permits and the reasonable recording and disclosure of such measured withdrawals.
s paragraph (a) associated with a conditional groundwater right shall not be the sole basis to determine the existence of reasonable diligence toward completion of such conditional water right.
(III) The state engineer may require the metering or other reasonable measurement of withdrawals of groundwater pursuant to permits and the reasonable recording and disclosure of such measured withdrawals.
(b) Any permit to construct a well issued by the state engineer prior to April 21, 1967, shall expire on July 1, 1973, unless the applicant furnishes to the state engineer, prior to July 1, 1973, evidence that the water from such well has been put to beneficial use prior to that date. The state engineer shall give notice by certified or registered mail to all persons to whom such permits were issued at the address shown on the state engineer's records, setting forth the provisions of this subsection (3). Such notices shall be mailed not later than December 31, 1971.
(c) If evidence that the well has been constructed and that the pump was installed, as required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (3), has not been received as of the expiration date of the permit to construct a well, the state engineer shall so notify the applicant by certified mail. The notice shall give the applicant the opportunity to submit evidence that the well was constructed and that the pump was installed before the expiration date. The evidence must be received by the state engineer within twenty-one days after receipt of the notice by the applicant and must be accompanied by a filing fee of thirty dollars. If the state engineer finds the evidence to be satisfactory, the permit shall remain in force and effect. The state engineer shall consider any records available in the state engineer's office, any evidence provided to the state engineer, and all other matters set forth in this section in determining whether the permit should remain in force and effect.
(d) In the case of federally authorized water projects wherein well permits are required by this section and have been secured, the expiration dates thereof may be extended for additional periods based upon a finding of good cause by the state engineer following a review of any such project at least annually by the state engineer.
(4) (a) In the issuance of a permit to construct a well outside a designated groundwater basin and not meeting the exemptions set forth in section 37-92-602 to withdraw nontributary groundwater or any groundwater in the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers, the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall apply.
(b) (I) Permits issued pursuant to this subsection (4) shall allow withdrawals on the basis of an aquifer life of one hundred years.
(II) Subject to the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the amount of such groundwater available for withdrawal shall be that quantity of water, exclusive of artificial recharge, underlying the land owned by the applicant or underlying land owned by another:
(A) Who has consented in writing to the applicant's withdrawal; or
(B) Whose consent exists by virtue of a lawful municipal ordinance or a quasi-municipal district resolution in effect prior to January 1, 1985, and which consent was the subject of a water court application for determination of nontributary groundwater rights filed by the affected municipality or quasi-municipal district prior to January 1, 1985; or
(C) Who shall be deemed to have consented to the withdrawal of groundwater pursuant to the provisions of subsection (8) of this section.
istrict resolution in effect prior to January 1, 1985, and which consent was the subject of a water court application for determination of nontributary groundwater rights filed by the affected municipality or quasi-municipal district prior to January 1, 1985; or
(C) Who shall be deemed to have consented to the withdrawal of groundwater pursuant to the provisions of subsection (8) of this section.
(b.5) (I) An applicant claiming to own the overlying land or to have the consent of the owner of the overlying land as contemplated in sub-subparagraph (A) of subparagraph (II) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (4) shall furnish to the state engineer, in addition to evidence of such consent, evidence that the applicant has given notice of the application by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, no less than ten days prior to the making of the application, to every record owner of the overlying land and to every person who has a lien or mortgage upon, or deed of trust to, the overlying land recorded in the county in which the overlying land is located.
(II) For purposes of this paragraph (b.5), "person" means any individual, partnership, association, or corporation authorized to do business in the state of Colorado, or any political subdivision or public agency thereof, or any agency of the United States.
(III) The provisions of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b.5) do not apply to applicants whose right to withdraw the groundwater has been determined by a valid decree nor to political subdivisions of the state of Colorado, special districts, municipalities, or quasi-municipal districts that have obtained consent to withdraw the groundwater by deed, assignment, or other written evidence of consent where, at the time of application, the overlying land is within the water service area of such entity.
(c) Material injury to vested nontributary groundwater rights shall not be deemed to result from the reduction of either hydrostatic pressure or water level in the aquifer.
(d) The annual amount of withdrawal allowed in any well permits issued under this subsection (4) shall be the same as the amount determined by court decree, if any, and may, if so provided by any such decree, provide for the subsequent adjustment of such amount to conform to the actual aquifer characteristics encountered upon drilling of the well or test holes.
(5) Any right to the use of groundwater entitling its owner or user to construct a well, which right was initiated prior to July 6, 1973, as evidenced by an unexpired well permit issued prior to July 6, 1973, or a current decree, shall not be subject to the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
(6) Rights to nontributary groundwater outside of designated groundwater basins may be determined in accordance with the procedures of sections 37-92-302 to 37-92-305. Such proceedings may be commenced at any time and may include a determination of the right to such water for existing and future uses. Such determination shall be in accordance with subsections (4) and (5) of this section. Claims pending as of October 11, 1983, which have been published pursuant to section 37-92-302 in the resume need not be republished.
(7) In the case of dewatering of geologic formations by withdrawing nontributary groundwater to facilitate or permit mining of minerals:
such water for existing and future uses. Such determination shall be in accordance with subsections (4) and (5) of this section. Claims pending as of October 11, 1983, which have been published pursuant to section 37-92-302 in the resume need not be republished.
(7) In the case of dewatering of geologic formations by withdrawing nontributary groundwater to facilitate or permit mining of minerals:
(a) (I) Except for coal bed methane wells, a well permit is not required unless the nontributary groundwater being removed will be beneficially used.
(II) Except for coal bed methane wells, a well permit is not required if the nontributary groundwater being removed to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals will be used only by operators within the geologic basin where the groundwater is removed to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals, including:
(A) Injection into a properly permitted disposal well;
(B) Evaporation or percolation in a properly permitted pit;
(C) Disposal at a properly permitted commercial facility;
(D) Roadspreading or reuse for enhanced recovery, drilling, well stimulation, well maintenance, pressure control, pump operations, dust control on-site or off-site, pipeline and equipment testing, equipment washing, or fire suppression;
(E) Discharge into state waters in accordance with the "Colorado Water Quality Control Act", article 8 of title 25, and the rules promulgated under that act;
(F) Evaporation at a properly permitted centralized exploration and production waste management facility; or
(G) Generating energy or otherwise using heat from groundwater for the mining of minerals.
(b) In the issuance of any well permit pursuant to this subsection (7), subsection (4) of this section does not apply and subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section apply; except that, in considering whether the permit shall issue, the requirement that the state engineer find that there is unappropriated water available for withdrawal and the six-hundred-foot spacing requirement in subsection (2) of this section do not apply. The state engineer shall allow the rate of withdrawal stated by the applicant to be necessary to dewater the mine; except that, if the state engineer finds that the proposed dewatering will cause material injury to the vested water rights of others, the applicant may propose, and the permit shall contain, terms and conditions that will prevent such injury. The reduction of hydrostatic pressure level or water level alone does not constitute material injury. Permitting determinations pursuant to this subsection (7) neither confer a water right nor preclude determination of a water right by the water court.
(c) The state engineer may, pursuant to the "State Administrative Procedure Act", article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., adopt rules to assist with the administration of this subsection (7). The rule-making authority includes the promulgation of rules pursuant to which groundwater within formations and basins, in whole or part, is determined to be nontributary for the purposes of this subsection (7). The rules may also provide rule-making and adjudicatory procedures for nontributary determinations to be made after the initial rule-making pursuant to this subsection (7). In all rule-making proceedings authorized by this subsection (7), the state engineer shall afford interested persons the right of cross-examination. Judicial review of all rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (7), including all nontributary determinations made pursuant to this subsection (7), is in accordance with the "State Administrative Procedure Act"; except that venue for such review lies exclusively with the water judge or judges for the water division or divisions within which the groundwater that is the subject of such rules or determinations is located
s promulgated pursuant to this subsection (7), including all nontributary determinations made pursuant to this subsection (7), is in accordance with the "State Administrative Procedure Act"; except that venue for such review lies exclusively with the water judge or judges for the water division or divisions within which the groundwater that is the subject of such rules or determinations is located. In any judicial action seeking to curtail the withdrawal, use, or disposal of groundwater pursuant to this subsection (7) or to otherwise declare such activities unlawful, the court shall presume, subject to rebuttal, that any applicable nontributary determination made by the state engineer is valid. Any rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (7) must not conflict with existing laws and do not affect the validity of groundwater well permits existing prior to the adoption of such rules.
(8) It is recognized that economic considerations generally make it impractical for individual landowners to drill wells into the aquifers named in this subsection (8) for individual water supplies where municipal or quasi-municipal water service is available and that the public interest justifies the use of such groundwater by municipal or quasi-municipal water suppliers under certain conditions. Therefore, wherever any existing municipal or quasi-municipal water supplier is obligated either by law or by contract in effect prior to January 1, 1985, to be the principal provider of public water service to landowners within a certain municipal or quasi-municipal boundary in existence on January 1, 1985, said water supplier may adopt an ordinance or resolution, after ten days' notice pursuant to the provisions of part 1 of article 70 of title 24, C.R.S., which incorporates groundwater from the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers underlying all or any specified portion of such municipality's or quasi-municipality's boundary into its actual municipal service plan. Upon adoption of such ordinance or resolution, a detailed map of the land area as to which consent is deemed to have been given shall be filed with the state engineer. Upon the effective date of such ordinance or resolution, the owners of land which overlies such groundwater shall be deemed to have consented to the withdrawal by that water supplier of all such groundwater; except that no such consent shall be deemed to be given with respect to any portion of the land if:
(a) Water service to such portion of the land is not reasonably available from said water supplier and no plan has been established by that supplier allowing the landowner to obtain an alternative water supply;
(b) Such ordinance or resolution is adopted prior to September 1, 1985, and, prior to January 1, 1985, such groundwater was conveyed or reserved or consent to use such groundwater was given or reserved in writing to anyone other than such water supplier and such conveyance, reservation, or consent has been properly recorded prior to August 31, 1985;
(c) Such ordinance or resolution is adopted on or after September 1, 1985, and said groundwater has been conveyed or reserved or consent to use such groundwater has been given or reserved in writing to anyone other than such water supplier and such conveyance, reservation, or consent is properly recorded before the effective date of that ordinance or resolution;
(d) Consent to use such groundwater has been given to anyone other than such water supplier by the lawful effect of an ordinance or resolution adopted prior to January 1, 1985;
(e) Such groundwater has been decreed or permitted to anyone other than such water supplier prior to the effective date of such ordinance or resolution; or
corded before the effective date of that ordinance or resolution;
(d) Consent to use such groundwater has been given to anyone other than such water supplier by the lawful effect of an ordinance or resolution adopted prior to January 1, 1985;
(e) Such groundwater has been decreed or permitted to anyone other than such water supplier prior to the effective date of such ordinance or resolution; or
(f) Such portion of the land is not being served by said water supplier as of the effective date of such ordinance or resolution and such groundwater is the subject of an application for determination of a right to use groundwater filed in the water court prior to July 1, 1985.
(9) (a) For the purpose of making the state engineer's consideration of well permit applications for the withdrawal of groundwater from wells described in subsection (4) of this section more certain and expeditious, the state engineer may, to the extent provided in this subsection (9) and pursuant to the "State Administrative Procedure Act", adopt rules and regulations to prescribe reasonable criteria and procedures for the application for, and the evaluation, issuance, extension, and administration of, such well permits. Such rules and regulations shall only be promulgated after the state engineer has conducted a hydrogeologic analysis, the results of which factually support the promulgation and the content of such rules and regulations for any particular aquifer or portion thereof. All such rules and regulations shall allow the withdrawal pursuant to such permits of the full amount of groundwater determined under subsection (4) of this section and shall afford the applicant the opportunity to rebut any presumptive aquifer characteristics. Presumptive aquifer characteristics established by those rules and regulations shall also apply to the determination of rights to groundwater from wells described in subsection (4) of this section by the water judges, subject to rebuttal by any party. In all rule-making proceedings authorized by this subsection (9), the state engineer shall afford interested persons the right of cross-examination. Judicial review of all rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subsection (9) shall be in accordance with the "State Administrative Procedure Act"; except that venue for such review shall lie exclusively with the water judge or judges for the water division or divisions within which the subject groundwater is located.
(b) On or before December 31, 1985, the state engineer shall promulgate reasonable rules and regulations applying exclusively to the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers to the extent necessary to assure that the withdrawal of groundwater from wells described in subsection (4) of this section will not materially affect vested water rights to the flow of any natural stream. In no event shall the rules and regulations promulgated under this paragraph (b) require that persons who withdraw nontributary groundwater, as defined in section 37-90-103 (10.5), relinquish the right to consume, by means of original use, reuse, and successive use, more than two percent of the amount of such groundwater which is withdrawn without regard to dominion or control of the groundwater so relinquished, nor shall they require that judicial approval of plans for augmentation providing for such relinquishment be obtained.
water, as defined in section 37-90-103 (10.5), relinquish the right to consume, by means of original use, reuse, and successive use, more than two percent of the amount of such groundwater which is withdrawn without regard to dominion or control of the groundwater so relinquished, nor shall they require that judicial approval of plans for augmentation providing for such relinquishment be obtained.
(c) Repealed.
(c.5) (I) (A) As to wells that will be completed in the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers and will withdraw groundwater that is not nontributary groundwater, judicial approval of plans for augmentation is required prior to the use of the groundwater.
(B) As to such wells completed in the Dawson aquifer, decrees approving plans for augmentation must provide for the replacement of actual out-of-priority depletions to the stream caused by withdrawals from the wells and must meet all other statutory criteria for the plans.
(C) As to such wells completed in the Denver, Arapahoe, or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers more than one mile from any point of contact between any natural stream including its alluvium on which water rights would be injuriously affected by any stream depletion, and any such aquifer, the decrees must provide for the replacement to the affected stream system or systems of a total amount of water equal to four percent of the amount of water withdrawn on an annual basis. As to such wells completed in such aquifers at points closer than one mile to any such contact, the amount of the replacement is determined using the assumption that the hydrostatic pressure level in each such aquifer has been lowered at least to the top of that aquifer throughout that aquifer. The decrees may also require the continuation of replacement after withdrawal ceases if necessary to compensate for injurious stream depletions caused by prior withdrawals from the wells and must meet all other statutory criteria for such plans.
(II) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2015.)
(d) On or before July 1, 1995, the state engineer shall promulgate reasonable rules that apply to the permitting and use of water artificially recharged into the Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers. On or before July 1, 2018, the state engineer shall promulgate rules that apply to the permitting and use of water artificially recharged into a nontributary groundwater aquifer. The rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (9)(d) must effectuate the maximum utilization of aquifers through the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources.
(10) Owners of such permits issued pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall be entitled to the issuance of permits for additional wells to be constructed on the land referred to in subsection (4) of this section. The standards of subsection (4) of this section shall be applied as if the applications for those additional well permits were filed on the same dates that the original applications were filed.
such permits issued pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall be entitled to the issuance of permits for additional wells to be constructed on the land referred to in subsection (4) of this section. The standards of subsection (4) of this section shall be applied as if the applications for those additional well permits were filed on the same dates that the original applications were filed.
(11) (a) (I) A person shall not, in connection with the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining as defined in section 34-32.5-103 (15), expose groundwater to the atmosphere unless the person has obtained a well permit from the state engineer pursuant to this section. The state engineer shall issue a well permit upon approval by the water court of a plan for augmentation or upon approval by the state engineer of a plan of substitute supply; except that no increased replacement of water shall be required by the water court or the state engineer whenever the operator or owner of land being mined has, prior to January 15, 1989, entered into and continually thereafter complied with a written agreement with a water conservancy district or water users' association to replace or augment the depletions in connection with or resulting from open mining of sand and gravel. The well permit and plan of substitute supply may authorize uses of water incidental to open mining for sand and gravel, including processing and washing mined materials; dust suppression; mined land reclamation including temporary irrigation for revegetation; liner or slurry wall construction; production of concrete and other aggregate-based construction materials; dewatering; and mitigation of impacts from mining and dewatering.
(II) Any person who extracted sand and gravel by open mining and exposed groundwater to the atmosphere after December 31, 1980, shall apply for a well permit pursuant to this section and, if applicable, shall apply for approval of a plan for augmentation or a plan of substitute supply prior to July 15, 1990.
(b) If any groundwater was exposed to the atmosphere in connection with the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining as defined in section 34-32-103 (9), C.R.S., prior to January 1, 1981, no such well permit, plan for augmentation, or plan of substitute supply shall be required to replace depletions from evaporation; except that the burden of proving that such groundwater was exposed prior to January 1, 1981, shall be upon the party claiming the benefit of this exception. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (b), judgments and decrees entered prior to July 1, 1989, approving plans for augmentation, which plans include the replacement of depletions from such evaporation, shall be given full effect and shall be enforced according to their terms.
(c) Any person who has reactivated or reactivates open mining operations which exposed groundwater to the atmosphere but which ceased activity prior to January 1, 1981, shall obtain a well permit and shall apply for approval of a plan for augmentation or a plan of substitute supply pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (11).
(d) No person who obtains or operates a plan for augmentation or plan of substitute supply prior to July 1, 1989, shall be required to make replacement for the depletions from evaporation exempted in this subsection (11) or otherwise replace water for increased calls which may result therefrom.
plan for augmentation or a plan of substitute supply pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (11).
(d) No person who obtains or operates a plan for augmentation or plan of substitute supply prior to July 1, 1989, shall be required to make replacement for the depletions from evaporation exempted in this subsection (11) or otherwise replace water for increased calls which may result therefrom.
(e) In addition to the well permit filing fee required by subsection (2) of this section, the state engineer shall collect the following fees for exposing groundwater to the atmosphere for the extraction of sand and gravel by open mining:
(I) For persons who exposed groundwater to the atmosphere on or after January 1, 1981, but prior to July 15, 1989, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars; except that, if such plan is filed prior to July 15, 1990, as required by subparagraph (II) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (11), the filing fee shall be seventy dollars if such plan includes ten acres or less of exposed groundwater surface area or three hundred fifty dollars if such plan includes more than ten acres of exposed groundwater surface area;
(II) For persons who expose groundwater to the atmosphere on or after July 15, 1989, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. In the case of new mining operations, such fee shall cover two years of operation of the plan.
(III) For persons who reactivated or who reactivate mining operations that ceased activity prior to January 1, 1981, and enlarge the surface area of any gravel pit lake beyond the area it covered before the cessation of activity, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars;
(IV) For persons who request renewal of an approved substitute water supply plan prior to the expiration date of the plan, two hundred fifty-seven dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed;
(V) For persons whose approved substitute water supply plan has expired and who submit a subsequent plan, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. An approved plan shall be considered expired if the applicant has not applied for renewal before the expiration date of the plan. The state engineer shall notify the applicant in writing if the plan is considered expired.
(VI) For persons whose proposed substitute water supply plan was disapproved and who submit a subsequent plan, one thousand five hundred ninety-three dollars regardless of the number of acres exposed. The state engineer shall notify the applicant in writing of disapproval of a plan.
(f) Excluding the well permit filing fee required by subsection (2) of this section, the state treasurer shall credit all fees collected with an application for approval of a plan for augmentation or a plan of substitute supply to the water resources cash fund created in section 37-80-111.7 (1).
(g) A person who has obtained a reclamation permit pursuant to section 34-32-112, C.R.S., shall be allowed to apply for a single well permit and to submit a single plan for augmentation or a single plan of substitute supply for the entire acreage covered by the reclamation plan without regard to the number of gravel pit lakes placed within such acreage.
(12) (a) In considering any well permit application in water division 3 that involves a new withdrawal of groundwater that will affect the rate or direction of movement of water in the confined aquifer, the state engineer shall recognize that unappropriated water is not made available and injury is not prevented as a result of the reduction of water consumption by nonirrigated native vegetation.
(12) (a) In considering any well permit application in water division 3 that involves a new withdrawal of groundwater that will affect the rate or direction of movement of water in the confined aquifer, the state engineer shall recognize that unappropriated water is not made available and injury is not prevented as a result of the reduction of water consumption by nonirrigated native vegetation.
(b) (I) Repealed.
(II) Subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) was repealed, effective July 1, 2004; except that nothing in this subsection (12) shall affect the validity of the rules adopted by the state engineer for groundwater withdrawals in water division 3, or affect the applicability of such rules to well permits that have been or will be issued, and judicial decrees that have been or will be entered, for the withdrawal of groundwater in water division 3.
(13) Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in this section, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or more of the fees if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the commission by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S.
(14) The state engineer may issue permits for augmentation wells only in accordance with plans for augmentation approved by the water judge for water division 1 and substitute water supply plans approved pursuant to section 37-92-308 that include such wells.
(15) A person withdrawing water from a well pursuant to subsection (1) or (4) of this section may use graywater through the use of a graywater treatment works, as those terms are defined in section 25-8-103 (8.3) and (8.4), C.R.S., in compliance with the requirements of section 25-8-205 (1)(g), C.R.S. Any limitations on use set forth in the well permit, and the provisions of any decreed plan for augmentation, apply to the use of graywater.
C.R.S. § 37-90-137.5 Special water committee - creation - study - repeal
37-90-137.5. Special water committee - creation - study - repeal. (Repealed)
C.R.S. § 37-90-138 Waste - violations - permits
37-90-138. Waste - violations - permits. (1) The state engineer in cooperation with the commission has power to regulate the drilling and construction of all wells in the state of Colorado to the extent necessary to prevent the waste of water and the injury to or destruction of other water resources and shall require well drillers and private drillers to file a log of each well drilled whether or not exempt by virtue of section 37-90-105. The state engineer shall adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section.
(2) If the state engineer finds any well to have been drilled or maintained in a manner or condition or to be withdrawing groundwater contrary to this article or the rules issued under this article, the state engineer shall immediately notify the user in writing of the violation and give the user time as may reasonably be necessary, not to exceed sixty days, to correct deficiencies. If the user fails or refuses to correct the deficiencies within the allowed time, the state engineer is authorized to enter upon the user's land and do whatever is necessary in order that the user comply with this article or rules issued under this article. Prior to August 1, 2010, this subsection (2) does not apply to oil and gas wells. For an oil and gas well in existence on March 22, 2010, for which a well permit is required by this section, a well permit application shall be submitted to the state engineer on or before April 30, 2010. For an oil and gas well to be constructed between March 22, 2010, and August 1, 2010, for which a well permit is required by this section, a well permit application shall be submitted to the state engineer on or before June 15, 2010. All oil and gas wells to be constructed after August 1, 2010, for which a well permit is required by this section shall have a well permit prior to producing groundwater.
(3) No well construction contractor, pump installer, private pump installer, or private driller shall construct a new well or otherwise do work on any well requiring authority from the state engineer or commission until a permit with respect thereto has been secured for such work.
C.R.S. § 37-90-139 Existing beneficial uses not recorded - fee
37-90-139. Existing beneficial uses not recorded - fee. Existing uses of groundwater put to beneficial use prior to May 17, 1965, not of record in the office of the state engineer on April 21, 1967, may be recorded upon written application and payment of a filing fee of twenty-five dollars and shall retain the date of initiation when first put to beneficial use, but no such recording shall be accepted after December 31, 1968.
C.R.S. § 37-90-140 Inclusion of lands
37-90-140. Inclusion of lands. (1) (a) The boundaries of any district organized under the provisions of this article may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section, but the change of boundaries of the district shall not impair or affect its organization or its rights in or to property or any of its rights and privileges whatsoever, nor shall it affect or impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien, or charge for or upon which it might be liable or chargeable had any such change of boundaries not been made. An election for the inclusion of real property in the district may be initiated by a petition, in writing, filed with the secretary of the board.
(b) The petition shall describe the boundaries of the proposed additional territory with such certainty as to enable a property owner to determine whether or not his property is within the district and shall contain a prayer for the inclusion of such additional territory. Such petition shall be signed by not less than fifteen percent of the taxpaying electors within the territory sought to be included and acknowledged in the same manner that conveyances of land are required to be acknowledged.
(c) If lands proposed to be included within a district, duly organized under the provisions of this article, are located within the water basin or aquifer within which the district lies, as determined by the commission, such lands are eligible for inclusion within said district under the provisions of this article and not otherwise.
(d) Within twenty-one days after the filing of the petition, the board shall examine the petition, and, if it finds that it bears the requisite number of signatures and otherwise meets the stated requirements, it shall accept the petition and shall fix a time and place, not less than thirty-five days nor more than forty-two days after the date of such acceptance, for a hearing thereon. The secretary of the board shall publish a notice of such hearing by one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in every county in which any portion of the district and the proposed additional territory to be included in the district are located. The publication shall be at least fourteen days prior to the date of the hearing. Such notice shall state the nature of the petition, the description of the proposed additional territory, and that any person owning any interest in real property within the district or within the proposed additional territory to be included in the district may appear at the hearing and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted.
(2) The board, at the time and place fixed, or at such times to which the hearing may be continued, shall proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto presented in writing. The failure of any person to object in writing shall be deemed an assent on his part to the inclusion of the proposed additional territory in the district as prayed for in the petition. Upon completion of the hearing, the board may order changes in the boundaries of the proposed lands to be included in the district by the inclusion or exclusion of land therefrom upon finding that such change in boundaries would be hydrologically, geologically, and geographically sound. The board, in its discretion, and on conditions to be determined by the board and accepted by the petitioners, may grant the petition, deny it, or grant it as to part of the proposed additional territory and deny it as to the remaining portion. Unless the petitioners are the owners of all the territory proposed to be added to the district, the board shall submit the question of the inclusion of the additional territory as so determined, to the taxpaying electors within the territory to be included, in an election held for that purpose.
t, or grant it as to part of the proposed additional territory and deny it as to the remaining portion. Unless the petitioners are the owners of all the territory proposed to be added to the district, the board shall submit the question of the inclusion of the additional territory as so determined, to the taxpaying electors within the territory to be included, in an election held for that purpose.
(3) The board shall appoint three taxpaying electors of the district, including two from the area sought to be included, as judges of the election. The secretary of the board shall have published a notice of the time and place of said election to be held in the territory proposed for inclusion in the district by one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the territory proposed for inclusion in the district. Such election shall not be held less than twenty-one days after said publication of notice.
(4) Such elections shall be held and conducted as nearly as may be in the same manner for creating districts as set forth in section 37-90-124. At the election, the taxpaying electors in the territory proposed for inclusion in the district shall vote for or against such inclusion. The judges of election shall certify the returns of the election to the board. If a majority of the votes cast at such election are for the inclusion of the additional territory, the board shall make an order to that effect and file the same with the secretary of the board.
(5) Any action of the board with respect to the inclusion of territory within an existing district may be reviewed by the district court in appeal proceedings filed within fourteen days after the board's decision has been announced.
(6) If the district within which the lands are included has incurred any prior bonded indebtedness, outstanding at the time of such inclusion, such additional land area shall be liable for its proportionate share of such prior indebtedness of said district.
C.R.S. § 37-90-141 Exclusion of lands
37-90-141. Exclusion of lands. (1) (a) The boundaries of any district organized under the provisions of this article may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section, but the change of boundaries of the district shall not impair or affect its organization or its rights in or to property or any of its rights and privileges whatsoever, nor shall it affect or impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien, or charge for or upon which it might be liable or chargeable had any such change of boundaries not been made. An election for the exclusion of real property in the district may be initiated by a petition, in writing, filed with the secretary of the board.
(b) The petition shall describe the boundaries of the territory proposed for exclusion with such certainty as to enable a property owner to determine whether or not his property is within the district and shall contain a prayer for the exclusion of such territory. Such petition shall be signed by not less than fifteen percent of the taxpaying electors within the territory proposed for exclusion, and such petition must be acknowledged in the same manner that conveyances of land are required to be acknowledged.
(c) If lands proposed for exclusion from a district, duly organized under the provisions of this article, are located outside the water basin or aquifer within which the district lies, as determined by the commission, such lands are eligible to be excluded under the provisions of this article and not otherwise.
(d) Within twenty days after the filing of the petition, the board shall examine the petition, and, if it finds that it bears the requisite number of signatures and otherwise meets the stated requirements, it shall accept the petition and shall fix a time and place, not less than thirty days nor more than fifty days after the date of such acceptance, for a hearing thereon. The secretary of the board shall publish a notice of such hearing by one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in every county in which any portion of the district and the proposed territory for exclusion are located. Such notice shall state the nature of the petition, the description of the territories proposed for exclusion, and that any person owning any interest in real property within such territories or within the district encompassing such territories may appear at the hearing and show cause in writing why the petition should not be granted.
(2) The board, at the time and place fixed, or at such times to which the hearing may be continued, shall proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto presented in writing. The failure of any person to object in writing shall be deemed an assent on his part to the exclusion of the lands as prayed for in the petition. Upon completion of the hearing, the board may order changes in the boundaries of the lands proposed for exclusion from the district by the inclusion or exclusion of land therefrom upon finding that such change in boundaries would be hydrologically, geologically, and geographically sound. The board, in its discretion, and on conditions to be determined by the board and accepted by the petitioners, may grant the petition, deny it, or grant it as to part of the proposed exclusion of territory and deny it as to the remaining portion.
(3) Any action of the board with respect to the exclusion of territory from an existing district may be reviewed by the district court in appeal proceedings filed within ten days after the board's decision has been announced.
(4) If the district within which lands are excluded has incurred any prior bonded indebtedness, outstanding at the time of such exclusion, such excluded lands shall continue to be liable for the proportionate share of any such bonded indebtedness which they were under obligation to pay at the time of exclusion.
C.R.S. § 37-90-142 State engineer - action upon permit
37-90-142. State engineer - action upon permit. Except as otherwise provided by specific statute, the state engineer shall act upon an application for a well permit within forty-five days of the receipt thereof.
C.R.S. § 37-90-143 Owners of well permits - update for name and contact information
37-90-143. Owners of well permits - update for name and contact information. (1) Effective July 1, 1994, any owner of an unexpired well permit issued pursuant to this article or article 92 of this title who changes a name or mailing address from that on file with the office of the state engineer shall file an update to the name or mailing address with the state engineer by January 1, 1995, on a form prescribed by the state engineer.
(2) Effective January 1, 1995, any owner of an unexpired well permit issued pursuant to this article 90 or article 92 of this title 37 who changes a name or contact information from that on file with the state engineer shall file an update with the state engineer within sixty-three days after the date of the change, on a form prescribed by the state engineer.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-37.docxFetched: 10/6/2026