Opinion ID: 1224377
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: 45-272 Water rights in stockponds; priority

Text: A. The owner of any stockpond constructed after June 12, 1919 and prior to August 27, 1977, the capacity of which is not in excess of fifteen acre-feet and concerning which water rights litigation or protest to the state land department was not a matter of record prior to August 27, 1977, shall have a valid water right in such stockpond with priority as of the date of construction and shall be eligible for such evidence of validity as the director may prescribe. B. All water rights issued pursuant to a permit or certificate issued prior to August 27, 1977 by the state land department or its predecessors or pursuant to an application to appropriate filed with the state land department or its predecessors prior to August 27, 1977, rights to the use of the mainstream waters of the Colorado river, rights previously acquired or validated by contract with the United States, court decree or other adjudication or rights acquired prior to June 12, 1919 and registered pursuant to article 7 of this chapter shall have priority over any water right claimed pursuant to this article. C. Any person WHO IS claiming a water right pursuant to this article AND who fails to file a claim of water right prior to June 30, 1979 ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT TO THIS SECTION shall have a water right priority as of the date of filing. AN EXISTING CLAIM OF WATER RIGHT UNDER THIS ARTICLE MAY BE AMENDED AT ANY TIME BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF HEARINGS ON THE CLAIMED RIGHT PURSUANT TO SECTION 45-257, SUBSECTION A. D. Subsequent to August 27, 1977, no person may construct or cause to be constructed a stockpond of any size unless the director of water resources or his predecessors has HAVE approved an application for A permit to appropriate such water filed pursuant to section 45-152. Sec. 23. Severability If a provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are severable. Sec. 24. Applicability Unless otherwise specifically provided, this act applies to: 1. All rights to appropriable water initiated or perfected on or before the effective date of this act and any rights subsequently initiated or perfected. 2. All general stream adjudications pending on the effective date of this act and all future general stream adjudications initiated pursuant to title 45, chapter 1, article 9, Arizona Revised Statutes. Sec. 25. Declaration of policy and intent A. The legislature finds and declares that the interests of the citizens of this state will be best served if the statutorily created process for the adjudication of surface water rights is amended to simplify and expedite pending litigation. The legislature also finds that ambiguities exist in the current statutes relating to surface water rights and that the clarification of these statutes will assist all parties by reducing the need for the courts to resolve current ambiguities. The legislature recognizes that the general stream adjudications are complicated and have the potential to profoundly affect the property rights of the water users of this state. It is the intention of this act to clarify existing laws and adopt changes that are equitable and fair to all parties, that comply with the letter and the spirit of the McCarran Amendment (43 United States Code section 666), that provide long-term security to all water rights holders within this state and that streamline the adjudication process and remove undue burdens of litigation from the parties. B. In enacting section 45-263, subsection B, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, the legislature declares that it does not intend to create an implication that the public trust doctrine applies to water rights in this state. Any subsequent determination of public trust values associated with or affecting water rights in this state shall not be made in or as a part of a general stream adjudication initiated pursuant to title 45, chapter 1, article 9, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, but shall only be made after a determination of navigability of the underlying watercourse in proceedings conducted pursuant to title 37, chapter 7, Arizona Revised Statutes. C. The legislature further finds that a primary purpose of the general stream adjudication is to quantify and prioritize claims made by the United States Government and Indian tribes to waters from the river systems and sources in this state. It is the express intent of the legislature that the department of water resources proceed to prepare and present the director's reports on Indian and non-Indian reservations to the general stream adjudication courts as expeditiously as possible. The legislature further finds that an early focus by the general stream adjudication courts on the trial of Indian and non-Indian federal water claims will increase the probability of earlier settlement negotiations with the United States and the Indian tribes, thereby increasing the possibility of an earlier resolution of these difficult issues. The legislature further finds that an early quantification and prioritization of Indian and non-Indian federal claims are prudent objectives in order to plan for the impacts that the federal water rights may have on the welfare of this state. D. In enacting this act, the legislature intends that in an adjudication instituted pursuant to the general adjudication statutes, the evidentiary weight to be given to a permit to appropriate under section 45-158, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, a certificate of water right under section 45-162, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, and a reservoir permit issued under section 45-161, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, shall be determined by the court in accordance with existing law. E. To carry out the purposes of this act, the legislature is establishing a permanent oversight committee for the general stream adjudications of this state, which shall convene from time to time to review the progress of the various cases and to determine whether additional legislative changes are necessary to expedite the fair adjudication of water right claims and uses in this state. Sec. 26. Emergency This act is an emergency measure that is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative immediately as provided by law.