Align provisional water rights with final decrees
What changed between versions
Added a 60-day deadline for the department to notify permit holders and interested parties when a final water rights decree is issued.
Established an 180-day window for petitioners to file requests to reduce, modify, or revoke provisional permits after receiving notice.
Requires petitioners to prove by preponderance of evidence that the provisional permit would have been denied or modified if the final decree had been available at the time of issuance.
Changed the process so that if no petition is filed, the department automatically issues a certificate of water right instead of leaving the permit status uncertain.
Clarified that provisional permits do not create vested water rights through construction or other actions if the permit would have been denied based on the final decree.