85-2-112. Department duties. The department shall:
     (1) enforce and administer this chapter and rules adopted under 85-2-113, subject to the powers and duties of the supreme court under 3-7-204;
     (2) prescribe procedures, forms, and requirements for applications, permits, certificates, claims of existing rights, and proceedings under this chapter and prescribe the information to be contained in any application, claim of existing right, or other document to be filed with the department under this chapter not inconsistent with the requirements of this chapter;
     (3) establish and keep in its Helena office a centralized record system of all existing rights and a public record of permits, certificates, claims of existing rights, applications, and other documents filed in its office under this chapter;
     (4) in cooperation with other state agencies, institutions, colleges, and universities, establish and maintain a centralized and efficient water resources data management system sufficient to make available and readily accessible, in a usable format, to state agencies and other interested persons, information on the state's water resources, out-of-state water resources that affect the state, existing and potential uses, and existing and potential demand. All other state agencies, institutions, and colleges and universities shall cooperate with the department in the development and maintenance of this system.
     (5) cooperate with, assist, advise, and coordinate plans and activities with the federal, state, and local agencies in matters relating to this chapter;
     (6) upon request by any person, cooperate with, assist, and advise that person in matters pertaining to measuring water or filing claims of existing rights with a district court under this chapter;
     (7) adopt rules necessary to reject, modify, or condition permit applications in highly appropriated basins or subbasins as provided in 85-2-319.

     History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 452, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 89-868(1); amd. Sec. 30, Ch. 697, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 268, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 448, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 573, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 442, Ch. 418, L. 1995.