Consistent with the decisions of the water judges establishing the basis for approval for plans for augmentation and for the administration of groundwater, the state engineer and division engineers shall exercise the broadest latitude possible in the administration of waters under their jurisdiction to encourage and develop augmentation plans and voluntary exchanges of water and may make such rules and regulations and shall take such other reasonable action as may be necessary in order to allow continuance of existing uses and to assure maximum beneficial utilization of the waters of this state. In so doing, the state engineer shall curtail all out-ofpriority diversions, the depletions from which are not so replaced as to prevent injury to vested water rights.
Source: L. 77: Entire section added, p. 1704, § 5, effective June 19.