45-333. Colorado river water use fee; purpose

A. The director may assess and collect annual Colorado river water use fees from each person who diverts and consumptively uses water in this state from the mainstream of the Colorado river as recorded in the final accounting.  This fee does not apply to persons who are paying fees and are current in their payments under agreements with a multi-county water conservation district and other parties for participation in the lower Colorado river multispecies conservation program with respect to the use of Colorado river water.

B. The director shall set the amount of a fee under this section each year according to the guidelines in section 45-334.

C. Any monies collected pursuant to this section shall be segregated from other revenues and deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in a fund designated as the Colorado river water use fee clearing account.  Each month, on notification by the director, the state treasurer shall pay all of the monies in the clearing account to an account designated by a multi-county water conservation district established under title 48, chapter 22 to be used solely for the lower Colorado river multispecies conservation program and for no other purpose.