Division of Water Rights adds 'dedicated water' application to fee schedule; form to be posted after meeting

Eric Jones, assistant state engineer with the Utah Division of Water Rights, told attendees at a public meeting that the agency will add a new "dedicated water" application type and its form to the Division's fee schedule after a change in state law.

Jones said the fee amounts and the associated water-quantity metrics will not change; the Division is adding the new application type so it can charge the existing processing fee for dedicated-water filings. According to Jones, the change follows an amendment to state law referenced in the meeting as Utah Code 73-3-30.3, which created a filing option for instream flow uses on sovereign lands and for delivery of water to reservoirs within the Colorado system.

At the meeting, Jones displayed the new application form, saying it looks much like a standard change application but limits the applicant to three options specific to the dedicated-water filing. He explained that at the time of filing the office will assign a lowercase identifier of either "a" or "f" to the application depending on the type being submitted.

During the public comment period, a participant asked when the form would be available and when the Division would begin accepting applications. Jones replied the form would be posted and available after the meeting if there were no major public comments.

No vote or formal board action was taken at the meeting; Jones closed the session after the public comment period and said the Division had met the rule and statutory public-notice requirements. The Division indicated it will publish the new dedicated-water application form and accompanying instructions on its website; specific filing start dates beyond "after this meeting" were not specified in the record.