No person shall use the public waters of the state of New Mexico except in accordance with the laws of the state of New Mexico. No person shall divert water or apply water to land without having a valid water right to do so, or apply it to purposes for which no valid water right exists. The state engineer may apply for and obtain an injunction in the district court of any county in which water is being diverted or the land affected is located, against any person, firm or corporation who shall divert water or commence the construction of works by which to divert water, in violation of statute, or who shall cause or permit the application of said water upon lands or to purposes for which no valid water right exists. This provision shall in no way be construed to affect the existing right of a court of equity in the exercise of its general equity powers to grant relief to the state of New Mexico by injunction or otherwise. This section shall not apply to waters within the benefited areas of a conservancy district unless the district refuses or fails to stop or correct the illegal use of water after notification by the state engineer.

History: 1953 Comp., § 75-5-37, enacted by Laws 1965, ch. 285, § 7.

Cross references. — For injunctions, see Rules 1-065 and 1-066 NMRA.

For the state engineer, see 72-2-1 NMSA 1978.

State engineer has jurisdiction over surface waters in New Mexico regardless of their diversion location. — Where the state engineer sought to enjoin petitioners' illegal use of Animas river surface water to irrigate additional acreage that was not part of an adjudication of water rights under a district court decree and for which petitioners have no permit, petitioners' argument that the state engineer lacked statutory authority to regulate the use of surface water from the Animas river for irrigation purposes when that water is diverted in Colorado and transported to New Mexico by a ditch is without merit, because the state engineer has the statutory authority to regulate the use of surface waters in New Mexico regardless of their diversion location, and therefore the state engineer has jurisdiction to regulate petitioners' application to beneficial use of Animas river surface waters diverted in Colorado to the ditch that conveys their flow to New Mexico. State Engineer v. Diamond K Bar Ranch, LLC, 2016-NMSC-036.

Law reviews. — For comment on State ex rel. Reynolds v. Miranda, 83 N.M. 443, 493 P.2d 409 (1972), see 13 Nat. Resources J. 170 (1973).

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 78 Am. Jur. 2d Waters § 259.

93 C.J.S. Waters §§ 33, 34.