This bill amends section 61-32-03.3 of the North Dakota Century Code, which governs the installation of smaller subsurface water management systems. Key changes include the requirement for individuals to notify both the board of the water resource district and all downstream landowners before installing a subsurface water management system that covers less than eighty acres. The notification must include details such as the system's total acreage, legal description of the land, outlet locations, and flow direction. Additionally, the bill stipulates that downstream landowners have thirty days to object to the installation, and if they do, a permit application must be filed with the water resource district.

The bill also introduces a mediation process for individuals seeking damages due to a subsurface water management system, requiring them to participate in mediation before pursuing legal action. The mediation board will consist of a state hydrologist, a state engineer, and a local farmer or rancher. Furthermore, the bill establishes penalties for violations, classifying them as infractions, and clarifies that the provisions apply only to systems that drain agricultural lands, excluding those that discharge into bodies of water entirely surrounded by the land owned by the system's owner.

Statutes affected:
INTRODUCED: 61-32-03.3