Oklahoma Administrative Code
Title 785 - Oklahoma Water Resources Board
Chapter 30 - Taking and Use of Groundwater
Subchapter 7 - Amendments to Groundwater Rights
Section 785:30-7-4 - Adding or replacing a well for the purpose of exercising prior rights or existing permits

(1) The holder of a permit or prior right may make a written petition to the Board for approval of an additional well(s) where such well(s) is or are necessary in order to withdraw the amount authorized by the existing permit. If ownership of the land, permit or prior right changes after the petition is filed, the petitioner must promptly notify the Board and notice of such change may be required.

(2) The petition shall be filed prior to drilling the well(s) on forms provided by the Board and shall be accompanied by a map or plat (see APPENDIX A of this Chapter). The additional well(s) must be located on lands dedicated to a permit to take and use groundwater from the same groundwater basin, be drilled and used to prevent waste and meet applicable well spacing requirements or location exceptions.

(3) The Executive Director shall approve the petition, provided:

(4) If one of the above enumerated conditions cannot be met, the permittee must give notice as set forth in 785:30-3-4 regarding each additional proposed well. If a protest is received, the Board shall schedule a hearing and notify the applicant and protestant of such hearing. Even if no protest is received, the petitioner shall be given opportunity for hearing if the petition cannot be recommended for approval to the Board.

(1) For well locations authorized by a permit or prior right, a replacement well may be drilled on dedicated lands without prior approval from the Executive Director if the proposed replacement well will not be closer than meets established well spacing or will not be closer than one-thousand three hundred twenty feet (1320') from lands owned by another if well spacing is not applicable.

(2) For a well location authorized by permit or prior right where the proposed replacement well location is within one-thousand three hundred twenty feet (1,320') of lands owned by another, the replacement well may be drilled on lands relied on to establish the prior right or dedicated lands without prior approval of the Executive Director, provided the replacement well is within two-hundred fifty feet (250) of the well to be replaced.

(3) If paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subsection cannot be met, a petition for an additional well may be filed.