Nebraska § 46-237 - Map or plat; requirements; failure to furnish; effect.

§ 46-237. Map or plat; requirements; failure to furnish; effect.

(1) Within six months after approval and allowance of an application other than an application to appropriate public waters for induced ground water recharge, the applicant shall file with the Chief Water Officer a map or plat which shall conform to the rules and regulations of the department as to material, size, coloring, and scale. Such map or plat shall show the source from which the proposed appropriation is to be taken and all proposed dams, dikes, reservoirs, canals, powerhouses, and other structures for the purpose of storing, conveying, or using water for any purpose whatsoever and their true courses or positions in connection with the boundary lines and corners of lands which they occupy. The lands to be irrigated shall be identified in the manner prescribed by the department. No rights shall be deemed to have been acquired until the provisions of this section have been complied with. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, failure to so comply shall work a forfeiture of the appropriation and all rights thereunder.

(2) For any appropriation with a priority date earlier than 1958 but for which either the appropriator has failed to comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section or a map or plat required by such subsection has been lost or destroyed through no fault of the appropriator, the lack of such compliance or of such map or plat shall not be the basis for an adjudication or cancellation of the appropriation by the Chief Water Officer and the appropriation shall not be subject to legal challenge by any party on that basis.

(3) The Chief Water Officer may notify any appropriator subject to subsection (2) of this section of the need to file a map or plat of lands under such appropriation. Unless the Chief Water Officer grants an extension for good cause shown, the appropriator shall file the required map within three years after that notification and such map shall conform to the rules and regulations of the Chief Water Officer as to material, size, coloring, and scale. If the appropriator fails to comply, the Chief Water Officer may deny the appropriator the right to divert or withdraw water subject to the appropriation until compliance has been achieved.

Filing of map was required as a step in completing appropriation of water. Ainsworth Irr. Dist. v. Bejot, 170 Neb. 257, 102 N.W.2d 416 (1960).

Under former law, where application for appropriation was approved by Department of Roads and Irrigation, and filing of map, etc., was made within six months thereafter pursuant to earlier section, department had discretion to extend time to complete work, owing to abnormal conditions. In re Application of Babson, 105 Neb. 317, 180 N.W. 562 (1920).