Idaho § 42-350 - Revocation of license - Grounds - Hearing - Licensee defined

§ 42-350. Revocation of license - Grounds - Hearing - Licensee defined

(1) If the director of the department of water resources finds, on the basis of available information at any time after a license is issued, that the licensee has ceased to put the water to a beneficial use for a period of five (5) continuous years or that the licensee has wilfully or intentionally failed to comply with any of the conditions in the license, or has wilfully or intentionally failed to comply with provisions of the law governing the license, then the director of the department of water resources may issue (a) an order to show cause before the director of the department or the director’s designee on or before a date therein set, which shall be not less than thirty (30) days from the date of service, why the director of the department should not revoke said license; or (b) an order directing the licensee to cease and desist the activity or activities alleged to be in violation of the conditions of the license or in violation of provisions of the law governing the license. A cease and desist order may direct compliance with the license forthwith or may provide for a time schedule to bring the licensee into compliance with the conditions of the license.

(2) Any order to show cause or order to cease and desist shall contain a statement of findings of fact and of conclusions of law that provide a factual and legal basis for the order of the director of the department of water resources.

(3) The director of the department of water resources shall serve a copy of any such order on the licensee by personal service or by certified mail. If reasonable efforts to personally serve the order fail, or if the certified mail is returned unclaimed, the department may serve the order by publication by publishing a summary of the order once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the point of diversion is located. Service by certified mail shall be complete upon receipt of the certified mail. Personal service may be completed by department personnel or a person authorized to serve process under the Idaho rules of civil procedure. Service by publication shall be complete upon the date of the last publication.

(4) The licensee shall have a right to an administrative hearing before the department, if requested in writing within twenty-one (21) days from the date of service of the order, and to judicial review, all as provided in section 42-1701A , Idaho Code.

(5) If the director of the department of water resources has issued an order to show cause why the director should not revoke a license, the licensee may, within twenty-one (21) days from the date of service of the order, notify the director in writing of the intent of the licensee to waive the right to an administrative hearing before the department and to file a complaint in the district court for a determination of the validity of the license. The complaint shall name the director of the department of water resources as a defendant and shall be filed either in the county where the point of diversion or the place of use under the license is located, or in the county where the director issued the order to show cause. The complaint shall be filed within forty-two (42) days of the date of service of the order to show cause by the director.

(6) The term "licensee," as used in this chapter, includes the heirs, successors, or assigns of the person to whom the department issued a water right license.

[42-350, added 1986, ch. 313, sec. 8, p. 773; am. 1988, ch. 83, sec. 2, p. 144.]