BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

 Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155      

 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en.html

IN REPLY REFER TO:

7250

(UT-933)P                                                                                           February 8, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Information Bulletin No. UT 2008-011

 

To:             AFO’s

                  ATTN: Range Management Program Personnel, Soil/Water/Air Program Personnel

 

From:         Deputy State Director, Division of Natural Resources

 

Subject:    “Sub-Basin Claim” Concept Proposed by Utah Division of Water Rights

 

Since 1990, the Utah Division of Water Rights has proposed that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) water rights be administered under a concept known as a "Sub-Basin Claim." The proposed procedure is explained in attached file.   After much deliberation, BLM Utah has declined to participate in the proposed procedure anywhere in the state. Instead, BLM Utah will continue to follow standard water rights procedures for both existing and new water uses.   Please carefully read the attached letter that thoroughly explains BLM's reasons for this decision.  

 

Workload considerations were a major part of the decision. The Utah State Office recognizes that following water rights processes is a significant workload, especially for range personnel who are involved in the management of water developments.   However, the risks associated with going to a sub-basin process outweighed workload considerations, because water rights are property rights that will affect the associated public lands indefinitely. BLM reached the conclusion that the proposed sub-basin process would endanger BLM’s ability to protect BLM's water sources from competing water uses. This inability to protect BLM’s water uses could endanger BLM's investment in water developments, and endanger the land uses that depend on those water developments.

 

The U.S. Forest Service has decided to implement the sub-basin process on an experimental basis. This is because the Forest Service is in a very different water rights situation. Forest Service lands are located primarily at the tops of watersheds, where water sources have little risk of interference from groundwater and surface water developments on private lands.

 

 

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If a field office is not completing water rights work due to other priorities, alternative strategies are available for completing that work. This may involve bringing in other resources and coordinating with other offices to complete the work. The Utah State Office has made arrangements for Roy Smith, water rights coordinator from the Colorado State Office, to offer assistance to BLM Utah field offices in developing water right strategies and completing water rights work. He can be reached at 303-239-3940.

 

 

 

 

Signed by                                                                                Authenticated by:

Donald R. Banks                                                                    Rosie Geren

DSD, Division of Natural Resources                                      Records Manager

 

 

 

 

Attachment

 

 

 

cc: Roy Smith, CO-930

 

 

 

 

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