2 CCR 402-17 Rules and Regulations For the Determination of the Nontributary Nature of Ground Water Produced Through Wells In Conjunction With the Mining of Minerals [Details]

• Library: Colorado Administrative Code
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 24, December 25, 2023
• Citation: 2 CCR 402-17
• Year: 2023

"PRODUCED NONTRIBUTARY GROUND WATER RULES"

17.1 Title

The title of these rules and regulations is "Rules and Regulations for the Determination of the Nontributary Nature of Ground Water Produced through Wells in Conjunction with the Mining of Minerals." The short title of these rules and regulations is "Produced Nontributary Ground Water Rules" and in this document the rules and regulations may be referred to as "Rules."

17.2 Authority

These Rules are promulgated pursuant to the authority granted the State Engineer in House Bill 09-1303, Section 3, as codified at section 37undefined37-90-137(7)(c) C.R.S.; and section 37undefined37-80-102(1)(g) C.R.S.

17.3 Scope and Purpose of Rules

A. The purpose of these Rules is to assist the State Engineer with administration in the case of dewatering of geologic formations by withdrawing nontributary ground water to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals.

B. These Rules establish procedures pursuant to which an operator may petition the State Engineer for a determination that water that is being or that may be withdrawn from geologic formations to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals is nontributary, as defined at section 37undefined37-90-103 (10.5), C.R.S. These Rules further identify certain areas, locations and formations within the State of Colorado where the State Engineer shall regard ground water removed from geologic formations to facilitate or permit mining of minerals to be nontributary.

C. These Rules provide for the use of engineering and scientific methodologies, including the use and results of ground water modeling or other ground water characteristics such as water chemistry, hydrogeology, or other scientifically based approaches, that an applicant may rely upon in support of a petition for a nontributary determination.

D. These Rules apply only to ground water removed from geologic formations to facilitate or permit mining of minerals. Consistent with section 37undefined37-90-137(7)(c) C.R.S., the State Engineer is adopting these Rules to assist with his administration of ground water withdrawn to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals. Consistent with the intent of House Bill 09-1303, such administration includes the State Engineer using nontributary determinations made pursuant to these Rules for purposes of issuing water well permits pursuant to section 37undefined37-90-137(7) C.R.S., and to obviate the need for administration of wells subject to permitting consideration, as allowed by sections 37undefined37-90-137(7) and 37undefined37-92-305(11), C.R.S.. The State Engineer shall not use these Rules for permitting of wells pursuant to section 37undefined37-90-137(4), C.R.S.

E. These Rules do not apply to any aquifer or portion thereof that contains designated ground water and is located within the boundaries of a designated ground water basin.

F. These Rules and regulations shall not be construed to establish the jurisdiction of either the State of Colorado or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe over nontributary ground water within the boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation as recognized in Pub. L. No. 98-290, § 3, 98 Stat . 201 (1984).

17.4 Definitions

A. Statutory Definitions. The terms listed below have the identical meaning as in the referenced statutes: 1. "Ground water," also referred to as "underground water," is defined in section 37undefined37-90-103 (10.5), C.R.S. and section 37undefined37-91-102(7), C.R.S. 2. "Nontributary ground water" is defined in section 37 90-103(10.5) C.R.S.

B. Specific Definitions. Unless expressly stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires: 1. "Field" means a region with an abundance of oil and/or gas wells extracting petroleum hydrocarbons from below ground. 2. "Formation" or "geologic formation" means a certain number of rock strata that have a comparable lithology, facies or other similar properties. 3. "Oil and gas well" means any boring or well into the earth's surface designed to find and produce petroleum oil and/or gas hydrocarbons. 4. "Operator" means any person or entity engaged in the mining of minerals, including any person or entity conducting exploration, production and/or maintenance of oil and gas well(s) or field(s), and excluding geothermal energy developers. 5. "Produced water" means ground water removed during the dewatering of one or more geologic formations to facilitate or permit mining of minerals.

C. Other Definitions. All other words used herein shall be given their usual, customary, and accepted meanings. All words of a technical nature specific to the well drilling industry shall be given the meaning that is generally accepted in that industry. All words of a technical or legal nature specific to the State of Colorado water rights administration shall be given the meaning that is generally accepted within that field.

17.5 Process for Obtaining a Determination of Nontributary Ground Water

Any person may seek to amend these Rules, through applicable rulemaking procedures, to identify areas within the State of Colorado where the State Engineer shall regard Produced Water to be nontributary, or to amend, based on factual information not presented at the time of adoption, the Rules to exclude areas previously determined to be nontributary pursuant to these Rules or any amendment thereof. An amendment excluding areas previously determined to be nontributary will not invalidate any existing permits issued pursuant to these Rules or otherwise cause the State Engineer to change his administration of wells in existence prior to such amendment. As an alternative to requesting a rulemaking proceeding, an Operator may obtain a determination regarding the nontributary nature of Produced Water through an adjudicatory proceeding before the State Engineer. Any such request for a nontributary determination must be submitted pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Rule 17.5.

These Rules do not preclude any Operator from obtaining a determination regarding the nontributary nature of Produced Water, for the purpose of section 37undefined37-90-137(7), C.R.S., through an appropriate proceeding before the Water Court.

A. Submittal of Petition for a Determination of Nontributary Ground Water An Operator or group of Operators seeking a nontributary determination for Produced Water withdrawn from an existing well or group of wells, or for a well or wells to be constructed in one or more geologic formations within a geographically delineated area ("Applicant") shall file a petition in the form of a letter and accompanying professional report to the State Engineer. The petition shall at a minimum contain the following information: 1. Information indicating whether the ground water will be withdrawn to facilitate or permit the mining of minerals, or withdrawn for purposes other than the mining of minerals. 2. Information indicating whether the Applicant is seeking a nontributary determination for a single well, group of wells, or for all wells, whether such wells have been constructed or are proposed to be constructed in one or more geologic formations within a geographically delineated area. 3. Information sufficient to demonstrate, through analytic or numeric modeling, that the depletions that result from pumping at the location of the well, wells, or at any well constructed, or proposed to be constructed in one or more geologic formations within a geographically delineated area, meet the nontributary standard. In lieu of ground water modeling, the Applicant may provide geologic, hydrologic, and other information sufficient to demonstrate that each subject geologic formation at the well location or within the geographically delineated area is hydraulically disconnected from all surface streams such that there will be no depletions to any surface stream as a result of pumping.

B. Notice and Comment 1. Concurrent with submission of the petition to the State Engineer, the Applicant shall file notice of the petition. The notice shall be sent to all parties on the Produced Nontributary Ground Water Notification List for the water division in which the subject ground water is located and the primary newspapers in circulation in the affected watersheds. 2. The State Engineer shall establish a Produced Nontributary Ground Water Notification List for each water division within the State of Colorado for the purposes of ensuring that water users within each water division receive adequate notice of proceedings held pursuant to these Rules. In order to establish such notification list, the State Engineer shall, immediately upon effect of these Rules, and in January of each year thereafter, cause to have published in the water court resume for each water division an invitation to be included on such notification list for the applicable water division. Persons on the Produced Nontributary Ground Water Notification List shall be provided notice required pursuant to these Rules by either first-class mail, or, if a person so elects, by electronic mail. 3. The State Engineer shall allow 30 days for any person to respond to...