An acequia or community ditch may establish a water bank for the purpose of temporarily reallocating water without change of purpose of use or point of diversion to augment the water supplies available for the places of use served by the acequia or community ditch. The acequia or community ditch water bank may make temporary transfers of place of use without formal proceedings before the state engineer, and water rights placed in the acequia or community ditch water bank shall not be subject to loss for non-use during the period the rights are placed in the water bank. An acequia or community ditch water bank established pursuant to this section is not subject to recognition or approval by the interstate stream commission or the state engineer.
History: Laws 2003, ch. 54, § 1 and Laws 2003, ch. 132, § 1.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For additional enactment concerning water banking, see 72-1-2.3 NMSA 1978.
Duplicate laws. — Laws 2003, ch. 54, § 1 and Laws 2003, ch. 132, § 1, both effective June 20, 2003, enacted identical new sections.