§ 426.5 — Ownership Entitlement

(a) General. Except as provided in §§ 426.12 and 426.14, all nonexempt land directly or indirectly owned by a landholder counts against that landholder's ownership entitlement. In addition, land owned or controlled by a public entity that is leased to another party counts against the lessee's ownership entitlement, as specified in § 426.10.

(b) Qualified recipient ownership entitlement. A qualified recipient is entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 960 acres of owned nonexempt land, or the Class 1 equivalent thereof. This entitlement applies on a westwide basis.

(c) Limited recipient ownership entitlement. A limited recipient is entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 640 acres of owned nonexempt land, or the Class 1 equivalent thereof. This entitlement applies on a westwide basis.

(d) Prior law recipient ownership entitlement. (1) Ownership entitlements for prior law recipients are determined by whether the recipient is one individual or a married couple, and for entities by the type of entity, as follows:

(i) An individual subject to prior law is entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of owned nonexempt land;

(ii) Married couples who hold equal interests are entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 320 acres of jointly owned nonexempt land;

(iii) Surviving spouses until remarriage are entitled to receive irrigation water on that land owned jointly in marriage up to a maximum of 320 acres of owned nonexempt land. If any of that land should be sold, the applicable ownership entitlement would be reduced accordingly, but not to less than 160 acres of owned nonexempt land;

(iv) Children are each entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of owned nonexempt land, regardless of whether they are independent or dependent;

(v) Joint tenancies and tenancies-in-common subject to prior law are entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of owned nonexempt land per tenant, provided each tenant holds an equal interest in the tenancy;

(vi) Partnerships subject to prior law are entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of owned nonexempt land per partner if the partners have separable and equal interests in the partnership and the right to alienate that interest. Partnerships where each partner does not have a separable interest and the right to alienate that interest are entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of nonexempt land owned by the partnership; and

(vii) All corporations subject to prior law are entitled to receive irrigation water on a maximum of 160 acres of owned nonexempt land.

(2) Prior law recipient ownership entitlements specified in this section apply on a westwide basis unless the land was acquired by the current owner on or before December 6, 1979. For land acquired by the current owner on or before that date, prior law ownership entitlements apply on a district-by-district basis.

(3) For those entities where an equal interest held by the part owners would result in a 160-acre per part owner entitlement for the entity, if the part owners interests are not equal then the entitlement of the entity will be determined by the relative interest held in the entity by each part owner.