Idaho § 42-222B - Irrigation Corporation Boundary Adjustments

§ 42-222B. Irrigation Corporation Boundary Adjustments

(1) A change to the generally described place of use of a water right held by any corporation organized for the operation, control, or management of an irrigation project or canal system may be made without applying for a change in use of the corporation’s water right under the provisions of section 42-222 , Idaho Code. The corporation must file with the department of water resources a map portraying the changes to the generally described place of use within which the corporation’s water rights will be exercised. For this filing requirement, it is sufficient to provide a drawing on a seven-and-one-half (7.5) minute quadrangle map having a scale of one to twenty-four thousand (1:24,000) that shows the changes to the generally described place of use to include each quarter-quarter section within which irrigation occurs. The corporation may alternatively submit a digital file depicting a map that shows the boundaries of the generally described place of use, delineated at a minimum scale of one to twenty-four thousand (1:24,000), with a defined projection, and in a format that can be opened using standard geographic information system software and includes each quarter-quarter section within which irrigation occurs.

(2) The director shall review the change to the generally described place of use filed with the department to verify that it will not result in an increase in either the rate of flow diverted or in the total number of acres irrigated as authorized by the water right, shall not result in an enlargement of other water rights within the place of use of the corporation’s water rights, and shall cause no injury to other water rights. Upon request from the director, the corporation shall submit information to support the director’s inquiry regarding the review criteria.

(3) Following the director’s review and approval or denial, if the holder of any water right or the corporation seeks to challenge the director’s decision, the challenge may be commenced only by requesting a hearing pursuant to 42-1701A (3), title 42 , Idaho Code, thereby initiating a contested case before the department, pursuant to the administrative procedures act, chapter 52, title 67 , Idaho Code.

[42-222B, added 2021, ch. 156, sec. 1, p. 432.]