1. (a) Not later than 30 days after signing a department order to designate a geographic or hydro logic area as a critical water management area or revoke or amend a designation, the commissioner will announce the decision by posting the order on the Alaska Online Public Notice System (AS 44.62.175) and mailing the order to

   1. (1) applicants for appropriations of water in the affected area;
   2. (2) appropriators of record in the affected area;
   3. (3) property owners in the affected area;
   4. (4) affected federal, state, and local agencies, including the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Environmental Conservation; and
   5. (5) any affected regional and village corporations organized under 43 U.S.C. 1601 - 1629h (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act).

2. (b) After the commissioner takes action under (a) of this section, the department may take the following actions:

   1. (1) restrict or deny the acceptance of applications for new water appropriations or applications for additional quantities for existing appropriators of record, until the order is amended or revoked;
   2. (2) seek voluntary agreement among permittees and certificate holders to limit the quantity of their water use on an equitably apportioned basis during all or part of the year;
   3. (3) fix a time limit for accepting new applications for water rights for existing water uses;
   4. (4) designate all water uses as significant;
   5. (5) require notice of all applications;
   6. (6) require conservation measures;
   7. (7) take any other actions necessary to fully inform the public of the order; or
   8. (8) enforce actions under 11 AAC 93.280, 11 AAC 93.290, AS 46.15.255, and AS 46.15.256.

(Eff. 11/7/90, Register 116; am 8/20/2004, Register 171; am 7/7/2024, Register 251)

Authority: AS 46.15.010, AS 46.15.180, AS 46.15.255, AS 46.15.020, AS 46.15.250, AS 46.15.256