42-3806. EXISTING RIGHTS UNAFFECTED — WHERE PERMIT NOT REQUIRED. This act shall not operate or be so construed as to impair, diminish, control or divest any existing or vested water rights acquired under the laws of the state of Idaho or the United States, nor to interfere with the diversion of water from streams under existing or vested water right or water right permit for irrigation, domestic, commercial or other uses as recognized and provided for by Idaho water laws.
No permit shall be required by the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof, from a water user or his agent to clean, maintain, construct in, or repair any stream channel, diversion structure, canal, ditch, drain or lateral. No permit shall be required by the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof, from a water user or his agent to remove any obstruction from any stream channel, if such obstruction interferes with, or is likely to interfere with, the delivery of, or use of, water under any existing or vested water right, or water right permit.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the provisions of chapter 10, title 46, Idaho Code, or to exempt a water user or his agent from compliance with any applicable local flood plain ordinance adopted pursuant to section 46-1022, Idaho Code.
History:
[42-3806, added 1971, ch. 337, sec. 6, p. 1304; am. 2004, ch. 191, sec. 3, p. 602; am. 2011, ch. 261, sec. 1, p. 707.]