45-461. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. " Certificate of exemption" means a certificate which was issued by the state land department or Arizona water commission under prior statutory law for the purpose of describing specific uses and amounts of water which could not be enjoined if found to constitute the transfer or transportation of groundwater.

2. " Development plan" means a plan for the non-irrigation use of land in connection with which land has been or will be retired from irrigation for the bona fide purpose of conserving or using water for such non-irrigation use which would otherwise be used to irrigate the retired land.

3. " Owner" means:

(a) With respect to an irrigation grandfathered right or a type 1 non-irrigation grandfathered right, the owner of the land to which the right is appurtenant.

(b) With respect to a type 2 non-irrigation grandfathered right, the holder of the certificate of type 2 non-irrigation grandfathered right.

4. " Protected farmland" means land that has been designated by the director as protected farmland pursuant to section 45-483, subsection A and for which the designation has not been revoked by the director pursuant to section 45-483, subsection C.

5. " Same ownership" means ownership by the same person or entity or by successor persons or entities as a result of succession to heirs and personal representatives, corporate and partnership reorganizations, mergers, dissolutions, divestitures, partnerships, partitions, joint ventures, foreclosures, receivership or bankruptcy, purchase of capital stock, sale pursuant to United States Code, title 11, or similar succession, but not by outright sale to a bona fide purchaser for value where no portion of or beneficial interest in the successor in interest is retained by the original owner, its shareholders, partners, limited partners or beneficiaries.

6. " Water duty acres" means the acres of land in a farm, as determined pursuant to section 45-465, subsection B, which are used in calculating the maximum amount of groundwater which may be used pursuant to an irrigation grandfathered right.