Opinion ID: 1224377
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: 45-164 Registry: reporting

Text: A. The director shall establish and maintain a registry of applications, permits and certificates of water right filed or issued pursuant to this chapter and statements of claim filed pursuant to article 7 of this chapter. B. A person who has filed an application or a statement of claim or a person to whom the director has issued a permit or a certificate of water right shall notify the director of a change in name or mailing address or an assignment pursuant to section 45-163. A person to whom an application, permit, certificate of water right or statement of claim is assigned shall notify the director of the assignment and shall furnish information as required by the director to keep the registry current and accurate. The director shall have continuing jurisdiction and shall issue revised permits and certificates as necessary. C. If an appropriator of water filed an application for a permit to appropriate water pursuant to article 5 of this chapter or an application for certification under article 10 of this chapter but the permit or certificate was issued or subsequently reissued the United States or the state of Arizona, an appropriator of water may file a written application with the department to request that a permit or certificate be reissued in accordance with either section 37-321.01, subsection A or section 45-151, subsection E. Within thirty days after receiving the application, the department shall provide notice of the application to the state or federal agency that owns the land on which the water is used and, if applicable, to the owner of patented land fro OM WHICH THE WATER IS DIVERTED OR ON WHICH THE WATER IS STORED. A PERSON WHO IS ENTITLED TO THIS NOTICE FROM THE DEPARTMENT MAY FILE WRITTEN OBJECTIONS TO THE APPLICATION WITHIN FORTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER THE DEPARTMENT MAILS THE NOTICE. IF NO TIMELY OBJECTION IS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT, IT SHALL APPROVE OR DENY THE APPLICATION WITHIN NINETY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF FILING OF THE APPLICATION. IF AN OBJECTION IS RECEIVED, AND ON WRITTEN REQUEST OF EITHER THE APPLICANT OR THE OBJECTOR, THE DIRECTOR SHALL HOLD A HEARING ON THE APPLICATION AND OBJECTIONS. IF A REQUEST FOR A HEARING IS NOT RECEIVED, THE DIRECTOR SHALL GRANT OR DENY THE RELIEF SOUGHT IN THE APPLICATION BASED UPON THE APPLICATION AND OBJECTIONS FILED. A FINAL DECISION OF THE DIRECTOR MAY BE APPEALED TO THE SUPERIOR COURT THAT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE WATER RIGHT AS PART OF A GENERAL ADJUDICATION CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 9 OF THIS CHAPTER. OR IF THE RIGHT IS NOT SUBJECT TO A GENERAL ADJUDICATION TO THE SUPERIOR COURT PURSUANT TO TITLE 12, CHAPTER 7, ARTICLE 6. THE FORM OF THE APPLICATION AND OBJECTION SHALL BE PRESCRIBED BY THE DIRECTOR, BUT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT CHARGE A FEE FOR PROCESSING AN APPLICATION. Sec. 5. Section 45-257, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by Laws 1995, chapter 9, section 20, is amended to read: 45-257. Hearings; report of master; final judgment by court; administration and enforcement of decree A. The master shall: 1. After due notice, conduct such hearings and take such testimony as shall be necessary to determine the relative water rights of each claimant. 2. For all determinations, recommendations, findings of fact or conclusions of law issued, prepare and file with the court a report in accordance with rule 53(g) of the Arizona rules of civil procedure, which shall contain those determinations. recommendations, findings of fact and conclusions of law. Each claimant may file written objections with the court to any rule 53(g) report within the later of sixty days after the report is filed with the court or within sixty days after the effective date of this amendment to this section. If the report covers and entire subwatershed or federal reservation, each claimant may file with the court written objections to the report within one hundred eighty days of the date on which the report was filed with the court. 3. Maintain under his control all records and documents at such locations as may be designated by the court. B. The court, upon review of the report and in accordance with rule 53 of the Arizona rules of civil procedure, shall: 1. Determine the extent and priority date of and adjudicate any interest in or right to use the water of the river system and source, provided that when rights to the use of water or dates of appropriation have previously been determined in a prior decree of a court, the court shall accept the determination of such rights and dates of appropriation as found in the prior decree unless such rights have been abandoned. Except if otherwise provided in an applicable prior filing, certificate of water right or prior decree, the decreed capacity of a reservoir includes the right to continuous filling and refilling in priority throughout the year. 2. Establish, in whatever form determined to be most appropriate by the court, one or more tabulations or lists of all water rights and their relative priorities on the river system and source. which shall constitute constructive notice of the contents of the judgment or decree. 3. Identify all claims and uses determined to be de minimis uses within the river system and source as prescribed by section 45-258. 4. Refer the final judgment or decree to the director for administration and enforcement under the continuing jurisdiction of the court. 5. Make appropriate orders to ensure that the entire record of the general adjudication is preserved in an accessible and usable form. 6. Record a certified copy of the final judgment or decree in each county within the geographical scope of the general adjudication which shall constitute constructive notice of the contents of the judgment or decree. C. Claimants may enter into agreements regarding the attributes, satisfaction or enforcement of their water rights in relation to each other. An agreement shall be finding only among the parties to that agreement. On request of all parties to the agreement, an agreement shall be incorporated by reference into the final judgment or decree without modification. Any modification to an agreement shall be incorporated by reference into the final judgment or decree without modification. Any modification to an agreement is valid only if agreed to by all parties to the agreement and is binding only among the parties to that agreement. D. IF OWNERSHIP OF A RIGHT TO USE WATER FOR STOCKWATERING OR STOCKPOND PURPOSES OR FOR DOMESTIC USE ON A RANCH OR FARM ON STATE LAND IS DISPUTED IN A GENERAL ADJUDICATION OF THE RIGHTS TO USE THE WATERS OF A RIVER SYSTEM AND SOURCE, THE WATER RIGHT SHALL BE ADJUDICATED IN THE NAME OF A CLAIMANT OTHER THAN THE STATE IF BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING APPLY: 1. THE POINT OF DIVERSION AND THE PLACE OF USE, OR THE PERFECTION OF THE WATER RIGHT BY THE APPROPRIATOR COMPLY WITH SECTION 37-321.01, SUBSECTION A. 2. THE STATE LAND COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESOLVE THE CLAIM. E. IN THE EVENT THAT THE STATE AND A PRIVATE CLAIMANT THAT CLAIMS OWNERSHIP OF THE WATER RIGHT UNDER SUBSECTION D OF THIS SECTION DISPUTE THE OWNERSHIP OF THE RIGHT TO USE WATER ON STATE LAND, THE EVIDENTIARY PRESUMPTIONS OF SECTION 45-261 SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE DISPUTE. FOLLOWING THE DETERMINATION OF OWNERSHIP BY THE MASTER OR COURT, THE EVIDENTIARY PRESUMPTIONS OF SECTION 45-261 SHALL APPLY TO THE DETERMINATION OF THE REMAINING ATTRIBUTES OF THE WATER RIGHT. F. IF OWNERSHIP OF A RIGHT TO USE WATER ON LAND OWNED BY THE UNITED STATES IS DISPUTED IN A GENERAL ADJUDICATION OF THE RIGHTS TO USE THE WATERS OF A RIVER SYSTEM AND SOURCE, THAT WATER RIGHT SHALL BE ADJUDICATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 45-151, SUBSECTIONS E AND F. APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 19, 1995 FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 20, 1995