Sec. 32708.

(1) The owner of a farm that is registered under this part who makes a withdrawal for an agricultural purpose, including irrigation for an agricultural purpose, may report the water use on the farm by annually submitting to the department of agriculture a water use conservation plan. Conservation plans shall be submitted by April 1 of each year. The water use conservation plan shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following information:

(a) The amount and rate of water withdrawn on an annual and monthly basis in either gallons or acre inches.

(b) The type of crop irrigated, if applicable.

(c) The acreage of each irrigated crop, if applicable.

(d) The source or sources of the water supply.

(e) If the source of the water withdrawn is groundwater, the location of the well or wells in latitude and longitude, with the accuracy of the reported location data to within 25 feet.

(f) If the water withdrawn is not used entirely for irrigation, the use or uses of the water withdrawn.

(g) If the source of water withdrawn is groundwater, the static water level of the aquifer or aquifers, if practicable.

(h) Applicable water conservation practices and an implementation plan for those practices. Beginning in 2010, the water use conservation plan shall include an acknowledgment that the owner of the farm has reviewed applicable environmentally sound and economically feasible water conservation measures prepared under section 32708a.

(i) At the discretion of the registrant, the baseline capacity of the withdrawal based upon system capacity and a description of the system capacity.

(2) The department and the department of agriculture in consultation with Michigan state university shall validate and use a formula or model to estimate the consumptive use of withdrawals made for agricultural purposes consistent with the objectives of section 32707.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), information provided to the department of agriculture under subsection (1)(a), (d), and (e) shall be forwarded to the department for inclusion in the statewide groundwater inventory and map prepared under section 32802.

(4) Information provided under subsection (1)(a), (e), and (i) is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and shall not be disclosed by the department, the department of agriculture, or the department of natural resources unless the department determines that the withdrawal is causing an adverse resource impact.

History: Add. 1995, Act 59, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 434, Imd. Eff. Dec. 2, 1996 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 148, Imd. Eff. Aug. 8, 2003 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 35, Imd. Eff. Feb. 28, 2006 ;-- Am. 2008, Act 182, Imd. Eff. July 9, 2008 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA