§ 49-4-35 — Registration of surface water use; amount of withdrawals; time to start withdrawals; modification or suspension of authority to withdraw water.

(A) Registered surface water withdrawers must register their surface water use with the department on forms provided by the department and are subject only to the reporting requirements of Section 49-4-50. Registered surface water withdrawers are authorized to withdraw surface water up to their registered amount. (B) An existing registered surface water withdrawer already reporting its withdrawals to the department as of January 1, 2011, may maintain its withdrawals at its highest reported level or at the design capacity of the intake structure which will be permanent as of January 1, 2011, and is deemed to be registered with the department. (C) Prior to constructing or installing a water intake, a proposed registered surface water withdrawer must report its anticipated withdrawal quantity to the department for determination as to whether that quantity is within the safe yield for that water source at the time of the request. Upon making a determination, the department must send a detailed description of its determination to the proposed registered surface water withdrawer by registered mail. A proposed registered surface water withdrawer may not begin his proposed withdrawals until he notifies the department of his anticipated withdrawals and the department provides written notification to the proposed registered surface water withdrawer that authorizes him to proceed, if the anticipated withdrawals are within the safe yield at the time of the request. If the department provides a proposed registered surface water withdrawer with written notification that the anticipated withdrawals are not within the safe yield, then the proposed registered surface water withdrawer may not proceed with the construction or installation of a water intake. Proposed registered surface water withdrawers are authorized to make withdrawals up to the department approved anticipated withdrawal amounts during the first year of registration and are authorized to make withdrawals in the amounts permitted by subsection (A) during subsequent years. (D) Registered surface water withdrawers that begin surface water withdrawal operations after the effective date of this section shall submit a registration form to the department within thirty days after completing construction of its surface water intake. An existing registered surface water withdrawer that would like to substantially increase the amount of surface water for which he is registered to withdraw must submit the anticipated amount of the increase for consideration by the department in the manner provided for in subsection (C). (E) The department may modify the amount an existing registered surface water withdrawer may withdraw, or suspend or revoke a registered surface water withdrawer's authority to withdraw water, if the registered surface water withdrawer withdraws substantially more surface water than he is registered for or anticipates withdrawing, as the case may be, and the withdrawals result in detrimental effects to the environment or human health. (F) Nothing in this chapter prohibits a registered surface water user from applying for and obtaining a surface water withdrawal permit.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1982 Act No. 282, SECTION 3; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1245; 2000 Act No. 366, SECTION 1; formerly 1976 Code SECTION 49-4-40; 2010 Act No. 247, SECTION 1, eff January 1, 2011. Editor's Note 2010 Act No. 247, SECTION 4.B, provides: "Chapter 1, Title 49 of the 1976 Code is not affected by and supersedes Chapter 4, Title 49 of the 1976 Code, as amended by SECTION 1 of this act." Effect of Amendment The 2010 amendment rewrote the section.