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(1) The authority is composed of six authority members:
(a) five authority members who represent Colorado River authority areas; and
(b) one authority member who represents the governor.
(2) The five Colorado River authority areas, defined by existing county boundaries that reflect the historic and current use of the Colorado River system, include:
(a) the Central Utah Area composed of Salt Lake, Utah, Juab, Sanpete, Summit, Wasatch, Duchesne, and Uintah counties, located within the service area of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District;
(b) the Uintah Basin Area composed of Duchesne and Uintah counties, notwithstanding that these counties fall within the Central Utah Area;
(c) the Price and San Rafael Area composed of Carbon and Emery counties;
(d) the Virgin River Area composed of Kane and Washington counties; and
(e) the State of Utah Area that represents:
(i) the remaining counties using the Colorado River system;
(ii) the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Natural Resources' divisions; and
(iii) the users of the Colorado River system that are not specifically included in the other four Colorado River authority areas and include Daggett, Garfield, Grand, San Juan, and Wayne counties.
(3) The members of the authority are:
(a) four members appointed as follows:
(i) a representative of the Central Utah Area appointed by the board of trustees of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District;
(ii) a representative of the Uintah Basin Area appointed jointly by the boards of trustees of the Duchesne County and Uintah Water Conservancy Districts;
(iii) a representative of the Price and San Rafael Area appointed jointly by the county commission of Carbon County and the board of trustees of the Emery Water Conservancy District; and
(iv) a representative of the Virgin River Area appointed by the board of trustees of the Washington County Water Conservancy District;
(b) the director of the Division of Water Resources as the representative of the State of Utah Area created in Subsection (2)(e); and
(c) the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources as the representative of the governor.
(4) A joint appointment required under Subsection (3) requires the agreement of both appointing authorities before the authority member seat is filled.
(5) An authority member who is appointed under Subsection (3) shall:
(a) be a resident of the state; and
(b) have experience and a general knowledge of:
(i) Colorado River issues and the use of the Colorado River system in the member's respective Colorado River authority area;
(ii) the development of the use of the waters of the Colorado River system; and
(iii) the rights of this state concerning the resources and benefits of the Colorado River system.
(6)
(a) An appointing authority shall notify the chair of:
(i) the appointing authority's initial appointment to the authority on or before July 1, 2021; and
(ii) the appointment of a new member or when a vacancy is being filled.
(b) An appointment of an authority member is effective when received by the chair.
(c) The initial term of an appointed authority member expires June 30, 2027. Before June 30, 2027, the authority shall adopt a system to stagger the terms of appointed authority members beginning July 1, 2027, and notify each appointing authority of the duration of the term of the appointing authority's authority member. The staggering of terms after July 1, 2027, shall result in approximately one-third of the appointed authority members' terms expiring every two years. After the respective terms of adjustment are complete, subsequent authority members shall be appointed by an appointing authority for six-year terms.
(d) An authority member term shall end on June 30. New terms commence on July 1.
(e) An authority member whose term has expired shall serve until replaced or reappointed by the applicable appointing authority.
(f) An appointing authority may at any time remove the appointing authority's authority member for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. If the authority member is jointly appointed, the authority member may only be removed by joint agreement of both appointing authorities.
(7) In the event of a vacancy in the authority, the chair shall notify the appointing authority of the vacancy and ask that an authority member be promptly appointed.
(8)
(a) An authority member may not receive compensation or benefits for the member's service, but may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance with:
(i) Section 63A-3-106;
(ii) Section 63A-3-107; and
(iii) rules made by the Department of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107.
(b) If an authority member is a full-time employee with either the state or a water conservancy district, the authority member is not eligible for the per diem compensation.
(9) The executive director appointed under Section 63M-14-401 shall provide staff services to the authority.