Mich. Comp. Laws § 324.32701 — MI Code / Chapter 324 / Act Act-451-of-1994 / Section 324.32701
Definitions; retention of established baseline capacity.
Status: in_force

Sec. 32701.

(1) As used in this part:

(a) "Adverse resource impact" means any of the following:

( i ) Until February 1, 2009, decreasing the flow of a river or stream by part of the index flow such that the river's or stream's ability to support characteristic fish populations is functionally impaired.

( ii ) Beginning February 1, 2009, subject to subparagraph ( vi ), decreasing the flow of a cold river system by part of the index flow as follows:

(A) For a cold stream, the withdrawal will result in a 3% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a cold small river, the withdrawal will result in a 1% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iii ) Beginning February 1, 2009, subject to subparagraph ( vi ), decreasing the flow of a cold-transitional river system by part of the index flow such that the withdrawal will result in a 5% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iv ) Beginning February 1, 2009, subject to subparagraph ( vi ), decreasing the flow of a cool river system by part of the index flow as follows:

(A) For a cool stream, the withdrawal will result in a 10% or more reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(B) For a cool small river, the withdrawal will result in a 15% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(C) For a cool large river, the withdrawal will result in a 12% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( v ) Beginning February 1, 2009, subject to subparagraph ( vi ), decreasing the flow of a warm river system by part of the index flow as follows:

(A) For a warm stream, the withdrawal will result in a 5% or more reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(B) For a warm small river, the withdrawal will result in a 10% or more reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(C) For a warm large river, the withdrawal will result in a 10% or more reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

( vi ) Beginning February 1, 2009, decreasing the flow of a stream or river by more than 25% of its index flow.

( vii ) Decreasing the level of a lake or pond with a surface area of 5 acres or more through a direct withdrawal from the lake or pond in a manner that would impair or destroy the lake or pond or the uses made of the lake or pond, including the ability of the lake or pond to support characteristic fish populations, or such that the ability of the lake or pond to support characteristic fish populations is functionally impaired. As used in this subparagraph, lake or pond does not include a retention pond or other artificially created surface water body.

(b) "Agricultural purpose" means the agricultural production of plants and animals useful to human beings and includes, but is not limited to, forages and sod crops, grains and feed crops, field crops, dairy animals and dairy products, poultry and poultry products, cervidae, livestock, including breeding and grazing, equine, fish and other aquacultural products, bees and bee products, berries, herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, grasses, nursery stock, trees and tree products, mushrooms, and other similar products, or any other product, as determined by the commission of agriculture, that incorporates the use of food, feed, fiber, or fur.

(c) "Assessment tool" means the water withdrawal assessment tool provided for in section 32706a.

(d) "Baseline capacity", subject to subsection (2), means any of the following, which shall be considered the existing withdrawal approval amount under section 4.12.2 of the compact:

( i ) The following applicable withdrawal capacity as reported to the department or the department of agriculture, as appropriate, by the person making the withdrawal in the annual report submitted under section 32707 not later than April 1, 2009 or in the water use conservation plan submitted under section 32708 not later than April 1, 2009:

(A) Unless reported under a different provision of this subparagraph, for a quarry or mine that holds an authorization to discharge under part 31 that includes a discharge volume, the discharge volume stated in that authorization on February 28, 2006.

(B) The system capacity used or developed to make a withdrawal on February 28, 2006, if the system capacity and a description of the system capacity are included in an annual report that is submitted under this part not later than April 1, 2009.

( ii ) If the person making the withdrawal does not report under subparagraph ( i ), the highest annual amount of water withdrawn as reported under this part for calendar year 2002, 2003, 2004, or 2005. However, for a person who is required to report by virtue of the 2008 amendments to section 32705(2)(d), baseline capacity means the person's withdrawal capacity as reported in the April 1, 2009 annual report submitted under section 32707.

( iii ) For a community supply, the total designed withdrawal capacity for the community supply under the safe drinking water act, 1976 PA 399, MCL 325.1001 to 325.1023, on February 28, 2006 as reported to the department in a report submitted not later than April 1, 2009.

(e) "Characteristic fish curve" means a fish functional response curve that describes the abundance of characteristic fish populations in response to reductions in index flow as published in the document entitled "Report to the Michigan Legislature in response to 2006 Public Act 34" by the former groundwater conservation advisory council dated July 2007, which is incorporated by reference.

(f) "Characteristic fish population" means the fish species, including thriving fish, typically found at relatively high densities in stream reaches having specific drainage area, index flow, and summer temperature characteristics.

(g) "Cold river system" means a stream or small river that has the appropriate summer water temperature that, based on statewide averages, sustains a fish community composed predominantly of cold-water fish species, and where small increases in water temperature will not cause a decline in these populations, as determined by a scientific methodology adopted by order of the commission.

(h) "Cold-transitional river system" means a stream or river that has the appropriate summer water temperature that, based on statewide averages, sustains a fish community composed predominantly of cold-water fish species, and where small increases in water temperature will cause a decline in the proportion of cold-water species, as determined by a scientific methodology adopted by order of the commission.

(i) "Community supply" means that term as it is defined in section 2 of the safe drinking water act, 1976 PA 399, MCL 325.1002.

(j) "Compact" means the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence river basin water resources compact provided for in part 342.

(k) "Consumptive use" means that portion of water withdrawn or withheld from the Great Lakes basin and assumed to be lost or otherwise not returned to the Great Lakes basin due to evaporation, incorporation into products or agricultural products, use as part of the packaging of products or agricultural products, or other processes. Consumptive use includes a withdrawal of waters of the Great Lakes basin that is packaged within the Great Lakes basin in a container of 5.7 gallons (20 liters) or less and is bottled drinking water as defined in the food code, 2005 recommendations of the food and drug administration of the United States public health service.

( l ) "Cool river system" means a stream or river that has the appropriate summer water temperature that, based on statewide averages, sustains a fish community composed mostly of warm-water fish species, but also contains some cool-water species or cold-water species, or both, as determined by a scientific methodology adopted by order of the commission.

(m) "Council" means the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence river basin water resources council created in the compact.

(n) "Department" means the department of environmental quality.

(o) "Designated trout stream" means a trout stream identified on the document entitled "Designated Trout Streams for the State of Michigan", as issued under order of the director of the department of natural resources, FO-210.04, on October 10, 2003.

(p) "Diversion" means a transfer of water from the Great Lakes basin into another watershed, or from the watershed of 1 of the Great Lakes into that of another by any means of transfer, including, but not limited to, a pipeline, canal, tunnel, aqueduct, channel, modification of the direction of a water course, tanker ship, tanker truck, or rail tanker but does not apply to water that is used in the Great Lakes basin or a Great Lake watershed to manufacture or produce a product that is then transferred out of the Great Lakes basin or watershed. Diverted has a corresponding meaning. Diversion includes a transfer of water withdrawn from the waters of the Great Lakes basin that is removed from the Great Lakes basin in a container greater than 5.7 gallons (20 liters). Diversion does not include any of the following:

( i ) A consumptive use.

( ii ) The supply of vehicles, including vessels and aircraft, whether for the needs of the persons or animals being transported or for ballast or other needs related to the operation of vehicles.

( iii ) Use in a noncommercial project on a short-term basis for firefighting, humanitarian, or emergency response purposes.

( iv ) A transfer of water from a Great Lake watershed to the watershed of its connecting waterways.

(q) "Environmentally sound and economically feasible water conservation measures" means those measures, methods, technologies, or practices for efficient water use and for reduction of water loss and waste or for reducing a withdrawal, consumptive use, or diversion that meet all of the following:

( i ) Are environmentally sound.

( ii ) Reflect best practices applicable to the water use sector.

( iii ) Are technically feasible and available.

( iv ) Are economically feasible and cost-effective based on an analysis that considers direct and avoided economic and environmental costs.

( v ) Consider the particular facilities and processes involved, taking into account the environmental impact, the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, energy impacts, and other appropriate factors.

(r) "Farm" means that term as it is defined in section 2 of the Michigan right to farm act, 1981 PA 93, MCL 286.472.

(s) "Flow-based safety factor" means a protective measure of the assessment tool that reduces the portion of index flow available for a withdrawal to 1/2 of the index flow for the purpose of minimizing the risk of adverse resource impacts caused by statistical uncertainty.

(t) "Great Lakes" means Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron, Erie, and Ontario and their connecting waterways including the St. Marys river, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair river, and the Detroit river. For purposes of this definition, Lakes Huron and Michigan shall be considered a single Great Lake.

(u) "Great Lakes basin" means the watershed of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence river.

(v) "Great Lakes charter" means the document establishing the principles for the cooperative management of the Great Lakes water resources, signed by the governors and premiers of the Great Lakes region on February 11, 1985.

(w) "Great Lakes region" means the geographic region composed of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

(x) "Index flow" means the 50% exceedance flow for the lowest summer flow month of the flow regime, for the applicable stream reach, as determined over the period of record or extrapolated from analyses of the United States geological survey flow gauges in Michigan. Beginning on October 1, 2008, index flow shall be calculated as of that date.

(y) "Intrabasin transfer" means a diversion of water from the source watershed of a Great Lake prior to its use to the watershed of another Great Lake.

(z) "Lake augmentation well" means a water well used to withdraw groundwater for the purpose of maintaining or raising water levels of an inland lake or stream as defined in section 30101.

(aa) "Large quantity withdrawal" means 1 or more cumulative total withdrawals of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period that supply a common distribution system.

(bb) "Large river" means a river with a drainage area of 300 or more square miles.

(cc) "New or increased large quantity withdrawal" means a new water withdrawal of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period or an increase of over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period beyond the baseline capacity of a withdrawal.

(dd) "New or increased withdrawal capacity" means new or additional water withdrawal capacity to supply a common distribution system that is an increase from the person's baseline capacity. New or increased capacity does not include maintenance or replacement of existing withdrawal capacity.

(ee) "Online registration process" means the online registration process provided for in section 32706.

(ff) "Preventative measure" means an action affecting a stream or river that prevents an adverse resource impact by diminishing the effect of a withdrawal on stream or river flow or the temperature regime of the stream or river.

(gg) "Registrant" means a person who has registered a water withdrawal under section 32705.

(hh) "River" means a flowing body of water with a drainage area of 80 or more square miles.

(ii) "Site-specific review" means the department's independent review under section 32706c to determine whether the withdrawal is a zone A, zone B, zone C, or zone D withdrawal and whether a withdrawal is likely to cause an adverse resource impact.

(jj) "Small river" means a river with a drainage area of less than 300 square miles.

(kk) "Source watershed" means the watershed from which a withdrawal originates. If water is withdrawn directly from a Great Lake, then the source watershed shall be considered to be the watershed of that Great Lake and its connecting waterways. If water is withdrawn from the watershed of a direct tributary to a Great Lake, then the source watershed shall be considered to be the watershed of that Great Lake and its connecting waterways, with a preference for returning water to the watershed of the direct tributary from which it was withdrawn.

( ll ) "Stream" means a flowing body of water with a drainage area of less than 80 square miles.

(mm) "Stream reach" means a segment of a stream or river.

(nn) "Thriving fish curve" means a fish functional response curve that describes the initial decline in density of thriving fish populations in response to reductions in index flow as published in the document entitled "Report to the Michigan Legislature in response to 2006 Public Act 34" by the former groundwater conservation advisory council dated July 2007, which is incorporated by reference.

(oo) "Thriving fish population" means the fish species that are expected to flourish at very high densities in stream reaches having specific drainage area, index flow, and summer temperature characteristics.

(pp) "Warm river system" means a stream or river that has the appropriate summer water temperature that, based on statewide averages, sustains a fish community composed predominantly of warm-water fish species, as determined by a scientific methodology adopted by order of the commission.

(qq) "Waters of the Great Lakes basin" means the Great Lakes and all streams, rivers, lakes, connecting channels, and other bodies of water, including groundwater, within the Great Lakes basin.

(rr) "Waters of the state" means groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams and all other watercourses and waters, including the Great Lakes, within the territorial boundaries of the state. Waters of the state do not include drainage ways and ponds designed and constructed solely for wastewater conveyance, treatment, or control.

(ss) "Withdrawal" means the removal of water from surface water or groundwater.

(tt) "Zone A withdrawal" means the following:

( i ) For a cold river system, as follows:

(A) For a cold stream, less than a 1% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a cold small river, less than 50% of the withdrawal that would result in an adverse resource impact.

( ii ) For a cold-transitional river system, there is not a zone A withdrawal.

( iii ) For a cool river system, as follows:

(A) For a cool stream, less than a 10% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a cool small river, less than a 5% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(C) For a cool large river, less than an 8% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iv ) For a warm river system, less than a 10% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(uu) "Zone B withdrawal" means the following:

( i ) There is not a zone B withdrawal for a cold stream or small river.

( ii ) For a cold-transitional river system, less than a 5% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iii ) For a cool river system, as follows:

(A) For a cool stream, a 10% or more but less than a 20% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a cool small river, a 5% or more but less than a 10% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(C) For a cool large river, an 8% or more but less than a 10% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iv ) For a warm river system, as follows:

(A) For a warm stream, a 10% or more but less than a 15% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a warm small river or a warm large river, a 10% or more but less than a 20% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(vv) "Zone C withdrawal" means the following as long as the withdrawal will not decrease the flow of a stream or river by more than 25% of its index flow:

( i ) For a cold river system, as follows:

(A) For a cold stream, a 1% or more but less than a 3% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(B) For a cold small river, 50% or more of the withdrawal that would result in an adverse resource impact but less than a 1% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( ii ) There is not a zone C withdrawal for a cold-transitional river system.

( iii ) For a cool river system, as follows:

(A) For a cool stream, a 20% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve but less than a 10% reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(B) For cool small rivers, a 10% or more but less than a 15% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

(C) For cool large rivers, a 10% or more but less than a 12% reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve.

( iv ) For warm river systems, as follows:

(A) For warm streams, a 15% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve but less than a 5% reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(B) For warm small rivers and warm large rivers, a 20% or more reduction in the density of thriving fish populations as determined by the thriving fish curve but less than a 10% reduction in the abundance of characteristic fish populations as determined by the characteristic fish curve.

(ww) "Zone D withdrawal" means, beginning February 1, 2009, a withdrawal that is likely to cause an adverse resource impact.

(2) For purposes of determining baseline capacity, a person who replaces his or her surface water withdrawal capacity with the same amount of groundwater withdrawal capacity from the drainage area of the same stream reach may retain the baseline capacity established under this section.

History: Add. 1995, Act 59, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995; Am. 1996, Act 434, Imd. Eff. Dec. 2, 1996; Am. 2003, Act 148, Imd. Eff. Aug. 8, 2003; Am. 2006, Act 33, Imd. Eff. Feb. 28, 2006; Am. 2008, Act 179, Imd. Eff. July 9, 2008