2006 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1353 – Water, public surface/ground

SENATE BILL NO. 1353

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Bill Status



S1353..........................................by RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
WATER - Amends existing law relating to water to provide for the exclusive
authority of the Department of Water Resources relating to the
appropriation of public surface and ground waters of the state; to prohibit
other instrumentalities or political subdivisions of the state from taking
any action to prohibit, restrict or regulate the appropriation of public
surface or ground waters of the state; and to provide that any such
prohibition, restriction or regulation shall be null and void.
                                                                        
02/06    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/07    Rpt prt - to Res/Env
02/21    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/22    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/24    3rd rdg - PASSED - 35-0-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Brandt(Harper), Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett,
      Burtenshaw, Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis,
      Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough,
      Langhorst, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McGee, McKenzie, Pearce,
      Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Stennett, Sweet, Werk, Williams
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Burtenshaw
    Title apvd - to House
02/27    House intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Con
03/10    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/13    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/22    3rd rdg - PASSED - 68-0-2
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bayer,
      Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford,
      Cannon, Chadderdon, Clark, Collins, Crow, Deal, Denney, Edmunson,
      Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Garrett, Harwood, Henbest,
      Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp, Lake, LeFavour, Loertscher, Martinez,
      Mathews, McKague, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini,
      Pasley-Stuart, Pence, Raybould, Ring, Ringo, Roberts, Rusche,
      Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley,
      Skippen, Smith(30), Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail,
      Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Hart, McGeachin
    Floor Sponsor - Field(23)
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/23    To enrol
03/24    Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed
03/27    To Governor
03/30    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 256
         Effective: 07/01/06

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1353
                                                                        
                           BY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO WATER; AMENDING SECTION 42-201, IDAHO CODE,  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE
  3        EXCLUSIVE  AUTHORITY  OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES RELATING TO THE
  4        APPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC SURFACE AND GROUND WATERS OF THE  STATE,  TO  PRO-
  5        HIBIT  OTHER INSTRUMENTALITIES OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE FROM
  6        TAKING ANY ACTION TO PROHIBIT, RESTRICT OR REGULATE THE  APPROPRIATION  OF
  7        PUBLIC  SURFACE OR GROUND WATERS OF THE STATE AND TO PROVIDE THAT ANY SUCH
  8        PROHIBITION, RESTRICTION OR REGULATION SHALL BE NULL AND VOID.
                                                                        
  9    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 10        SECTION 1.  That Section 42-201, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
 11    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 12        42-201.  WATER  RIGHTS  ACQUIRED  UNDER  CHAPTER -- ILLEGAL APPLICATION OF
 13    WATER. (1) All rights to divert and use the waters of this state  for  benefi-
 14    cial  purposes  shall hereafter be acquired and confirmed under the provisions
 15    of this chapter and not otherwise. And after the passage of this title all the
 16    waters of this state shall be controlled and administered in the manner herein
 17    provided. Such appropriation shall be perfected only by means of the  applica-
 18    tion,  permit  and license procedure as provided in this title; provided, how-
 19    ever, that in the event an appropriation has been commenced by  diversion  and
 20    application  to  beneficial use prior to the effective date of this act it may
 21    be perfected under such method of appropriation.
 22        (2)  No person shall use the public waters of the state of Idaho except in
 23    accordance with the laws of the state of Idaho. No  person  shall  divert  any
 24    water  from  a  natural  watercourse  or  apply  water  to land without having
 25    obtained a valid water right to do so, or apply it to purposes  for  which  no
 26    valid water right exists.
 27        (3)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subsection (2) of this section,
 28    water may be used at any time, with or without a water right, to extinguish an
 29    existing fire on private or public lands, structures, or equipment, or to pre-
 30    vent an existing fire from spreading to private or public  lands,  structures,
 31    or equipment endangered by an existing fire.
 32        (4)  This  title  delegates to the department of water resources exclusive
 33    authority over the appropriation of the public surface and  ground  waters  of
 34    the state. No other agency, department, county, city, municipal corporation or
 35    other  instrumentality  or  political subdivision of the state shall enact any
 36    rule or ordinance or take any other action to prohibit, restrict  or  regulate
 37    the appropriation of the public surface or ground waters of the state, and any
 38    such action shall be null and void.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 15889

Title 42 of the Idaho Code delegates comprehensive authority to
the Idaho Department of Water Resources over the appropriation of
the waters of the State.  This delegation of authority preempts
other agencies and political subdivisions from regulating the
appropriation of the public waters of the State.  This
legislation further clarifies these principles to ensure that no
other agency or political subdivision takes any action which
impinges upon the Department of Water Resource's exclusive
jurisdiction over the appropriation of the waters of the state.
The legislation will not affect the right of an agency or
political subdivision to file a protest in a water right
proceeding. It will have no impact on the zoning authority or
other powers inherent in political subdivisions. There would also
be no impact on private contracts, covenants, or restrictions.


 
                           FISCAL NOTE

There is no fiscal impact.




Contact
Name:  Norm Semanko, Idaho Water Users Association 
Phone: (208) 344-6690
Name:  Gary Despiva, Idaho Ground Water Association
Phone: (208) 899-3131




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                        S 1353