Title 41 · WY

41-4-305, all parties named in claiming the waters of said

Citation: Wyo. Stat. § 41-4-305

Section: 41-4-305

41-4-305, all parties named in claiming the waters of said stream or tributaries in said transcript shall be notified by mail.

41-4-305. Notice; enclosure of form for statement by claimant; contents.

(a) Said division superintendent shall, in addition, enclose with said notice a blank form on which said claimant shall present in writing all the particulars showing the amounts and dates of appropriations to the use of water of said stream to which he lays claim; the said statement to include the following:

(i) The name and post office address of the claimant;

(ii) The nature of the use on which the claim for appropriation is based;

(iii) The time of the commencement of such use, and if distributing works are required;

(iv) The date of beginning of the survey;

(v) The date of beginning of construction;

(vi) The date when completed;

(vii) The date of beginning and completion of enlargements;

(viii) The dimensions of the ditch as originally constructed and as enlarged;

(ix) The date when water was first used for irrigation or other beneficial purposes, and if used for irrigation, the amount of land reclaimed the first year; the amount in subsequent years, with the dates of reclamation, and the amount of land such ditch is capable of irrigating;

(x) The character of the soil and the kind of crops cultivated and such other facts as will show a compliance with the law in acquiring the appropriation and the rank of priority claimed.

41-4-306. Notice; statements to be under oath; administering.

Each of said claimants shall be required to certify to his statements under oath, and the superintendent of the water division in which the testimony is taken is hereby authorized to administer such oaths, which shall be done without charge to the claimant, as also shall be the furnishing of blank forms for said statement.

41-4-307. Notice; payment of printing costs. All bills for the printing of notices to claimants of water in the adjudications provided for in this act shall be paid for by the secretary of the state board of control.

41-4-308. Taking of testimony generally; taking of proof.

Upon the date named in the notice provided for in the preceding sections, the division superintendent shall begin the taking of testimony and shall continue until the testimony shall be completed; provided, that in case the division superintendent of any water division is directly or indirectly interested in the water of any stream of his division, or is prevented by illness or other disability from the taking of the proofs, the taking of evidence so far as relates to the stream shall be under the direction of the division superintendent of the next nearest water division or under the direct personal supervision of the state engineer, as may be deemed by the engineer the most expedient. Provided, that in the taking of proofs of appropriation of water made under a permit issued by the state engineer, the permits having been issued subsequent to the adjudication of the waters of the stream from which the appropriation is made, the superintendent may, in his discretion, authorize the water commissioner of the district in which the appropriation is made to take the proofs. Upon the taking of the proofs so ordered the water commissioner shall at once forward them to the division superintendent. The water commissioner shall take no proofs except those specifically ordered by the division superintendent. Provided that in the taking of proofs of appropriation of water made under a permit issued by the state engineer subsequent to the adjudication of the water of the stream from which the appropriation is made, the superintendent may, in his discretion authorize the water commissioner of the district in which the appropriation is made to take the proofs. Upon the taking of the proofs so ordered the water commissioner shall at once forward them to the division superintendent. The water commissioner shall take no proofs except those specifically ordered by the division superintendent.

41-4-309. Notice on completion of testimony; inspection of evidence.

Upon the completion of the taking of evidence by the division superintendent, it shall be his duty to at once give notice, in one (1) issue of some newspaper of general circulation in the county where such determination is, and by registered mail to the various claimants, that upon a certain day, and a place named in the notice, all of said evidence shall be open to the inspection of the various claimants, and said superintendent shall keep said evidence open to inspection at said place, not less than one (1) day and not more than five (5) days.

41-4-310. Duty of claimants to appear; failure to comply; time limits for appearance; rights of claimant not notified of adjudication.

Whenever the state board of control shall, as provided by law, proceed to adjudicate and determine the rights of the various claimants to the use of water upon any stream or other body of water, it shall be the duty of all claimants interested in such stream or other body of water to appear and submit proof of their respective appropriations, at the time and in the manner required by law; and any such claimant who shall fail to appear in such proceedings and submit proof of his appropriations shall be barred and estopped from subsequently asserting any rights theretofore acquired upon the stream or other body of water embraced in such proceedings, and shall be held to have forfeited all rights to the use of said stream theretofore claimed by him. Provided, that any person claiming the right to the use of water of any stream heretofore adjudicated by the board of control who, having been or claiming to have been at the time an appropriator therefrom, shall have failed to appear and submit proof of his claim shall be permitted within one (1) year after the passage of this act, but not thereafter, to apply for a hearing and an adjudication of his rights in the manner hereinafter provided; and provided, further, that any claimant upon whom no other service shall be made than by publication in the newspaper, of the notice of such proceedings and taking of testimony, may, within one (1) year after the entry of the order or decree of the board, determining the rights of the various claimants upon any particular stream or other body of water, have the same opened and be let in to give proof of his appropriation; but before the decree of the board can be opened in such case, the applicant shall give notice to all other persons interested in the water of the stream or other body of water in question, and shall with his petition file the same kind of proof as required of claimants in original hearings and make it appear to the satisfaction of the board that during the pendency of the proceedings he had no actual notice thereof in time to appear and make proof of his claim; and all parties interested may present affidavits as to the matter of actual notice of the applicant. 41-4-311. Others contesting rights of original claimants; when permitted; procedures generally.

Whenever the rights to the use of the waters of any stream and all its tributaries within the state have been adjudicated as provided by law, and it shall appear by the records of such adjudication that it had not been had at one (1) and the same proceeding, then in such case the state board of control shall be and is hereby authorized to give notice of the opening to public inspection of all proofs or evidences of appropriation of water, and the findings of the board in relation thereto from the stream and its tributaries in the manner and according to the provisions of W.S. 41-4-309; and any persons, corporations or associations who may desire to contest the claims or rights of other persons, corporations or associations, as set up in the proofs or established by the board, shall proceed in the manner provided for in W.S. 41-4-312, 41-4-313 and 41-4-314; provided, that contests may not be entered into and shall not be maintained except between appropriators who were not parties to the same adjudication proceedings in the original hearings.

41-4-312. Others contesting rights of original claimants; notice to superintendent; time limits; affidavit; notice of hearing generally.

Should any person, corporation or association of persons owning any irrigation works, or claiming any interest in the stream or streams involved in the adjudication, desire to contest any of the rights of the persons, corporations or associations who have submitted their evidence to the superintendent as aforesaid; such persons, corporations or associations shall, within fifteen (15) days after the testimony so taken shall have been opened to public inspection, in writing, notify the superintendent of the water division in which is located said irrigation works or stream or streams, stating with reasonable certainty the grounds of their proposed contest, which statement shall be verified by the affidavit of the contestant, his agent or attorney, and the said division superintendent shall notify the said contestant and the person, corporation or association whose rights are contested, to appear before him at such convenient place as the superintendent shall designate in said notice.

41-4-313. Others contesting rights of original claimants; when hearing to be held; notice; powers of superintendents; proceedings generally. Said superintendent shall also fix the time, both as to the day and hour, for the hearing of said contest, which date shall not be less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days from the date the notice is served on the party, association or corporation, which notice and the return thereof shall be made in the same manner as summons are served in civil actions in the district courts of this state. Superintendents of water divisions shall have power to adjourn hearings from time to time upon reasonable notice to all the parties interested, and to issue subpoenas and compel the attendance of witnesses to testify upon such hearings, which shall be served in the same manner as subpoenas issued out of the district courts of the state; and shall have the power to compel such witnesses so subpoenaed to testify and give evidence in said matter; said witnesses shall receive fees as in civil cases, to be paid by the party or parties against whom the contest shall be finally determined. The evidence on such proceedings shall be confined to the subjects enumerated in the notice of contest.

41-4-314. Others contesting rights of original claimants; daily deposit required during hearings; cost of preparation of transcript; disposition of moneys deposited upon close of hearing.

The superintendent shall require a deposit of eight dollars ($8.00) from each of the contestants and contestees for each day he shall be so engaged in taking evidence on said contest. The contestant shall pay the cost of preparation of the transcript of said evidence before the contest is transmitted by the superintendent to the board of control for final determination or adjudication. Upon the final determination or the adjudication of the matters by the board of control, an order shall be entered directing that the money so deposited shall be refunded to the persons, associations or corporations in whose favor such contest shall be determined, and that all moneys deposited by other parties therein shall be turned over by the superintendent to the state treasury to the credit of the general fund.

41-4-315. Others contesting rights of original claimants; duty of superintendent to transmit evidence and testimony to board of control; issuance and costs of new certificate.

(a) Upon the completion of the testimony and evidence taken in contests initiated under the provisions of this act, it shall be the duty of the superintendent to transmit all evidence and testimony in said contests to the office of the board of control in person or by registered mail, and the action of said board in relation thereto shall be governed by the provisions of law applicable to contest cases in original adjudication proceedings; provided, that, if as a result of any such contest it shall be necessary to cancel any final certificate theretofore issued by said board and issue a new certificate in accordance with the findings of the board, such certificate shall be issued without cost to the person entitled to it, other than is incident to a proper recording of such certificate in the office of the county clerk.

(b) Upon the completion of the evidence in the original hearing before the superintendent, and the evidence taken in all contests, it shall be his duty to transmit all the evidence and testimony in said adjudication to the office of the board of control in person, or by registered mail.

41-4-316. Examination and measurement of capacity of streams and works diverting water; maps or plats.

It shall be the duty of the state engineer or some qualified assistant, to proceed at the time specified in the notice to the parties on said stream, to be adjudicated, to make an examination of said stream, and the works diverting water therefrom, said examination to include the measurement of the discharge of said stream, and of the carrying capacity of the various ditches and canals diverting water therefrom; an examination of the irrigated lands and an approximate measurement of the lands irrigated, or susceptible of irrigation from the various ditches and canals, which said observation and measurements shall be reduced to writing, and made a matter of record in his office; and it shall be the duty of the state engineer to make, or cause to be made, a map or plat on a scale of not less than one (1) inch to the mile, showing, with substantial accuracy, the course of said stream, the location of each ditch or canal diverting water therefrom, and the legal subdivisions of lands which have been irrigated, or which are susceptible of irrigation from the ditches and canals already constructed.

41-4-317. Determination of priorities to streams; limitations on amount of water to be allotted; disposition of excess water generally.

At the first regular meeting of the board of control after the completion of such measurement by the state engineer, and the return of said evidence by said division superintendent, it shall be the duty of the board of control to make and cause to be entered of record in its office, an order determining and establishing the several priorities of right to the use of waters of said stream, and the amounts of appropriations of the several persons claiming water from such stream, and the character and kind of use for which said appropriation shall be found to have been made. Each appropriation shall be determined in its priority and amount, by the time by which it shall have been made, and the amount of water which shall have been supplied for beneficial purposes; provided, that such appropriator shall at no time be entitled to the use of more water than he can make a beneficial application of on lands, for the benefit of which the appropriation may have been secured, and the amount of any appropriation made by reason of an enlargement of distributing works, shall be determined in like manner; provided, that no allotment for the direct use of the natural unstored flow of any stream shall exceed one (1) cubic foot per second for each seventy (70) acres of land for which said appropriation shall be made, and provided, further, where there may be in any stream water in excess of the total amount of all appropriations from said stream, such excess shall be divided among the appropriators therefrom in proportion to the acreage covered by their respective permits, and provided, also, that such additional water shall be beneficially used, except as hereinafter provided.

41-4-318. Surplus water; defined.

For the purpose of this act, surplus water is hereby defined to be that quantity of water belonging to the state of Wyoming flowing in the natural channel of any main stream or a tributary of a main stream within the boundaries of Wyoming, at any time in excess of the total amount required to furnish to all existing appropriations from said stream system the maximum amount of water for which all said appropriations have been granted, whether by permit or by adjudicated decree as of March 1, 1945.

41-4-319. Surplus water; regulation and control.

It shall be the duty of the state engineer, water superintendents and water commissioners and their assistants to divide, regulate and control the diversion and taking of surplus water from any stream in a manner that all applicants will be able to obtain a proportionate share, as hereinafter defined, of the surplus water. 41-4-320. Surplus water; rights of use generally.

(a) A right to the use of surplus water as herein defined in the amount of one (1) cubic foot of water per second for each seventy (70) acres of land having an adjudicated water right or a water right under permit is hereby adjudicated to attach to all original direct flow water rights, and only on lands described in adjudicated appropriations as of record in the office of the state board of control or under valid permits or filings as of record in the office of the state engineer. The rights so adjudicated shall bear date of priority as of March 1, 1945. Rights unadjudicated shall acquire the surplus right as the original is perfected.

(b) Any permits issued or water rights granted in the state of Wyoming after March 1, 1945, shall be subject to the adjudication of surplus water as provided herein.

41-4-321. Surplus water; who may divert.

Surplus water, as herein defined, may be diverted by anyone having either an adjudicated appropriation or a permit granting a right to divert and take from said stream and/or its tributaries a quantity of water for beneficial use.

41-4-322. Surplus water; limitations on use.

Each applicant shall be entitled to divert for beneficial use such quantity of surplus water as he can so use, not in excess of one (1) cubic foot of water per second of time for each seventy (70) acres of land irrigated therewith, and not in excess of an amount which equals his proportionate share of the total quantity of previously appropriated water from said stream.

41-4-323. Surplus water; senior priority.

When anyone has applied surplus water to beneficial use, as herein provided, he shall be entitled thereafter to divert and beneficially use his proportionate share thereof, and such diversion and beneficial use, when accomplished, is hereby declared to be an appropriation of such water, entitled to a priority senior to any water right acquired after March 1, 1945.

41-4-324. Surplus water; construction of W.S. 41-4-317 through 41-4-324. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to permit, authorize or make lawful the diversion or taking of any water other than surplus water as herein defined.

41-4-325. Contents of certificate of priority; recording; fees; transmittal of appropriation; fees for proofs submitted at hearings; disposition.

As soon as practicable after the determination of the priorities of appropriation of the use of waters of any stream, it shall be the duty of the secretary to issue to each person, association or corporation represented in the determination a certificate to be signed by the president of the board of control, and attested under seal, setting forth the names and post office address of the appropriator; the priority date and number of the appropriation; the amount of water appropriated; and if the appropriation is for irrigation, a description of the legal subdivisions of land to which the water is to be applied. Certificates shall be transmitted to the county clerk of the county in which the appropriation shall have been made, and it shall be the duty of the county clerk upon receipt of the recording fee required by W.S. 18-3-402 to record the same in a book especially prepared and kept for that purpose, and thereupon immediately transmit the same to the respective appropriators. At the time of the submission of testimony to the division superintendent he shall collect for each proof taken a fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) which fee shall be transmitted to the secretary of the board of control together with the testimony and proofs of appropriation. The county recording fee shall be used as above provided and the remainder shall be credited to the general fund.

41-4-326. Conclusiveness of final decrees of board.

The final orders or decrees of the state board of control, in the proceedings provided by law for the adjudication and determination of rights to the use of the public waters of the state, shall be conclusive as to all prior appropriations, and the rights of all existing claimants upon the stream or other body of water lawfully embraced in the adjudication, subject, however, to the provisions of law for rehearings in such proceedings and for the reopening of the orders or decrees therein and for appeals from such orders or decrees.

41-4-327. Rehearing after final order of board. After any final order of the board of control adjudicating the priorities upon any stream, any party interested therein may within one (1) year thereafter apply for a rehearing for reasons to be stated in the application; and upon the filing of such application, the secretary of the board shall mail written notice thereof to every other party interested, and therein fixing and stating a time when said application will be heard.

41-4-328. Authority to modify order and correct testimony.

Upon such hearing the board shall have authority to modify or alter the original order in such respect as shall appear just and proper. But it shall not be necessary for an application for rehearing to be filed to entitle any party to an appeal. Upon such hearing the board shall also have authority to permit, upon good cause shown, the correction of the testimony of any party or witness, if it shall appear that a mistake has occurred therein, but no other new evidence shall be received at such hearing unless it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the board that the same is material, and has been discovered since the taking of the original testimony and could not with reasonable diligence have been discovered before that time.

41-4-329. Excess water; defined.

For the purpose of this act, excess water is hereby defined to be that quantity of water belonging to the state of Wyoming flowing in the natural channel of any main stream or a tributary of a main stream within the boundaries of Wyoming, at any time in excess of the total amount required to furnish to all existing appropriations from the stream system the maximum amount of water to which all appropriations are entitled, whether by permit or by adjudicated decree as of March 1, 1985.

41-4-330. Excess water; rights of use generally.

(a) A right to the use of excess water as defined by W.S.