41-4-511. Final proof of appropriation; procedures generally.

Whenever an appropriation of water has been perfected in accordance with any permit issued by the state engineer, the appropriator may submit final proof of appropriation of water at any time within the time specified by W.S. 41-4-506, to the superintendent of the water division in which the water right involved is situated, or, when more expedient, before the superintendent of another water division or the state engineer, or before a water commissioner in accordance with the provisions of W.S. 41-4-308. Proof shall be made by appropriators under oath upon forms furnished by the state board of control. The superintendent shall collect for each proof taken a fee not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00), which fee shall be transmitted to the secretary of the board of control together with the several proofs taken. The secretary of the board of control shall use the fee to pay the appropriate amount for the county recording fee for the recording of the certificate of appropriation in the office of the county clerk of the county in which the water right is situated and the newspaper advertising fee for advertising the several proofs as provided in this section. The remainder of the fee shall be remitted to the state treasurer to the credit of the general fund. If the board of control rejects any proof, the fee shall be returned to the person, association or corporation submitting such proof. At least thirty (30) days prior to any regular meeting of the state board of control the superintendent of each water division shall cause all proofs taken by him to be advertised in at least one (1) issue of a newspaper having general circulation in the community where the water right involved is situated, such advertisement to contain in each case the permit number, the date of priority, the name of the ditch, canal or reservoir, the name of the appropriator, the name of the stream from which the appropriation is made, and the amount of the appropriation expressed in acres for ditches designed for the irrigation of lands and in acre-feet for reservoirs, or in cubic feet per second or gallons per minute when the appropriation is for domestic, stock, municipal, industrial, manufacturing, fish hatchery or power purposes. Advertisements shall state the time when, and the place where, the proofs of appropriation of water taken by the superintendent will be open for public inspection for a period of not less than one (1) or more than five (5) days, and the last day of the period shall not be less than fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting of the board. Any party claiming an interest in any water right from the stream or streams to which the advertised proofs refer, shall have the right to contest the proposed adjudications according to the provisions of W.S. 41-4-312 through 41-4-315. Upon the completion of the taking of proofs of appropriation and the advertising, the superintendent of each water division shall transmit to the office of the state board of control in Cheyenne the several proofs taken, together with fees collected, and shall accompany the same with affidavits of publication as evidence of the required advertisement. At its next regular meeting the board shall consider all proofs of appropriation received from the division superintendents and if satisfied that there are no conflicts and that any appropriation involved has been perfected in accordance with the permit issued by the state engineer, the state board of control by the hand of its president, attested under seal, shall issue a certificate of appropriation of water as described in W.S. 41-4-325 and send the certificate to the county clerk of the county in which the use of water has been made to be recorded by the clerk as provided in W.S. 41-4-325.