418.9—Reporting changes in eligible land.
(a) Eligible land anticipated to be irrigated.
(1)
Anticipated changes in irrigated eligible land from the prior year will be reported to the Bureau's Lahontan Area Office by the District by March 1 of each year. The District will adjust the acreage of the eligible land anticipated to be irrigated to correct for inaccuracies, water right transfers that have been finally approved by the Nevada State Engineer, and any other action that affects the number of eligible acres, acres anticipated to be irrigated, or water deliveries.
(2)
As the adjustments are made, the District will provide updated information to the Bureau for review and approval. The District must adjust anticipated water allocations to individual water users accordingly. The allocations will at all times be based on a maximum annual entitlement of 3.5 acre-feet (AF) per acre of bottom land, 4.5 AF per acre of bench land, and 1.5 AF per acre of pasture land that is anticipated to be irrigated and not on the number of water-righted acres.
(3)
The District will provide the individual water users with the approved data regarding the anticipated acreage to be irrigated and water allocations for each water user that year.
(i)
Any adjustments based on changes in lands anticipated to be irrigated during the irrigation season must be reported by the individual water user to the District.
(ii)
The District will, in turn, notify the Bureau of any changes in irrigated acreage which must be accounted for.
(iii)
Each landowner's anticipated acreage must be less than or equal to the landowner's eligible acreage.
(4)
Should a landowner believe that the number of acres of eligible land he or she is entitled to irrigate is different from the number of acres as approved by the Bureau, the landowner must notify the District and present appropriate documentation regarding the subject acreage. The District must record the information and present the claim to the Bureau for further consideration.
(i)
If the Bureau determines there is sufficient support for the landowner's claim, then adjustments will be made to accommodate the changes requested by the landowner.
(ii)
If the Bureau disallows the landowner's claim, the Bureau must notify the District in writing. The District will, in turn, inform the landowner of the disposition of the claim and the reasons therefore, and will further instruct the landowner that he or she may seek judicial review of the Bureau's determination under the decrees. If the dispute affects the current year, then the Bureau and the District will seek to expedite any court proceeding.
(b) Changes in domestic and other uses.
By March 1 of each year, the District must report to the Bureau all anticipated domestic and other water uses. This notification must include a detailed explanation of the criteria used in allowing the use and sufficient documentation on the type and amount of use by each water user to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Bureau that each water user is in compliance with the criteria. With adequate documentation, the District may notify the Bureau of any changes in domestic water requirements at any time during the year.