§ 70-7.2. Definitions.

Sec. 7.2. As used in connection with the groundwater charge, the following words shall mean:

"Person" or "operator" means public agencies, federal, state, and local, private corporations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies, individuals or groups of individuals, whether legally organized or not; "owner" or "operator" also means the person to whom a water-producing facility is assessed by the county assessor, or, if not separately assessed, the person who owns the land upon which a water-producing facility is located.

"Groundwater" means all water beneath the earth's surface, but does not include water which is produced with oil in the production of oil and gas, or in a bona fide mining operation, or during construction operations, or from gravity or artesian springs.

"Production" or "producing" means the act of extracting groundwater by pumping or otherwise.

"Water-producing facility" means any device or method, mechanical or otherwise, for the production of water from the groundwater supplies within the district or a zone thereof.

"Accumulated overdraft" means the amount of water necessary to be replaced in the intake areas of the groundwater basins within the district or any zone or zones thereof to prevent the landward movement of salt water into the fresh groundwater body, or to prevent subsidence of the land within any zone or zones, as determined by the board from time to time.

"Annual overdraft" means the amount, determined by the board, by which the production of water from the groundwater supplies within the district or any zone or zones thereof during the water year exceeds the natural replenishment of those groundwater supplies in that water year.

"Water year" means March 1st of one calendar year to the last day of February of the following calendar year.

"Agricultural water" means water first used on lands in the production of plant crops or livestock for market.

(Added by Stats.1965, c. 1798, p. 4164, § 3. Amended by Stats.1994, c. 1010 (S.B. 2053), § 233; Stats.1995, c. 529 (S.B.614), § 25, eff. Oct. 4, 1995.)