Full text of Utah Utah Code § 73-22-3 — Definitions., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 73-22-3. Definitions.
Effective 5/6/2026 73-22-3.
Definitions. As used in this chapter:
(1)
"Correlative rights" mean the rights of a geothermal owner in a geothermal area to produce without waste the geothermal owner's just and equitable share of the geothermal resource underlying the geothermal area.
(2)
"Division" means the Division of Water Rights within the Department of Natural Resources.
(3)
"Geothermal area" means the general land area that is underlain or reasonably appears to be underlain by a geothermal resource.
(4)
"Geothermal fluid" means water and steam at temperatures greater than 100 degrees centigrade naturally present in a geothermal system.
(5)
(a)
"Geothermal resource" means:
(i)
the natural heat of the earth at temperatures greater than 100 degrees centigrade; and
(ii)
the energy, in whatever form, including pressure, present in, resulting from, created by, or that may be extracted from that natural heat, directly or through a material medium using any type of application including a conventional hydrothermal, enhanced geothermal, or advanced geothermal system.
(b)
"Geothermal resource" does not include a geothermal fluid.
(6)
"Geothermal system" means a strata, pool, reservoir, or other geologic formation containing a geothermal resource.
(7)
"Material medium" means a geothermal fluid, or water and other substance artificially introduced into a geothermal system to serve as a heat transfer medium.
(8)
"Operator" means a person drilling, maintaining, operating, producing, or in control of a well.
(9)
"Owner" means a person who has the right to drill into, produce, and make use of a geothermal resource.
(10)
(a)
"Waste" means an inefficient, excessive, or improper production, use, or dissipation of a geothermal resource.
(b)
"Waste" includes:
(i)
a transporting or storage method that causes or tends to cause unnecessary surface loss of a geothermal resource; or
(ii)
locating, spacing, constructing, equipping, operating, producing, or venting of a well in a manner that results or tends to result in unnecessary surface loss or in reducing the ultimate economic recovery of a geothermal resource.
(11)
"Water right" means:
(a)
a right to use water, including a geothermal fluid, evidenced by a means identified in Subsection 73-1-10(1)(a); or
(b)
a right to use water, including a geothermal fluid, under an approved application:
(i)
to appropriate; or
(ii)
for a change of use.
(12)
"Well" means a well drilled, converted, or reactivated for the discovery, testing, production, or subsurface injection of a geothermal resource.
Section 73-22-3 ("Definitions.") is part of the Utah Code, the codified statutory law of Utah. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.
How do I cite Utah § 73-22-3?
A common citation format is "Utah Code § 73-22-3" (Utah). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.
Is this the official text of Utah law?
No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Utah official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Utah attorney.
How does Utah § 73-22-3 apply to my situation?
Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in Utah can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.
