3-7-501. Jurisdiction. (1) The jurisdiction of each judicial district concerning the determination and interpretation of cases certified to the court under 85-2-309 or of existing water rights is exercised exclusively by it through the water division or water divisions that contain the judicial district wholly or partly.
     (2) A water judge may not preside over matters concerning the determination and interpretation of cases certified to the court under 85-2-309 or of existing water rights beyond the boundaries specified in 3-7-102 for the judge's division except as provided in 3-7-201.
     (3) The water judge for each division shall exercise jurisdiction over all matters concerning cases certified to the court under 85-2-309 or concerning the determination and interpretation of existing water rights within the judge's division as specified in 3-7-102 that are considered filed in or transferred to a judicial district wholly or partly within the division.
     (4) The determination and interpretation of existing water rights includes, without limitation, the adjudication of total or partial abandonment of existing water rights occurring at any time before the entry of the final decree.

     History: En. Secs. 1, 6, Ch. 697, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 80, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 596, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 604, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 174, L. 1997.