256.653. President and secretary to be elected, qualifications, terms--commission's powers and duties.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

256.653. President and secretary to be elected, qualifications, terms--commission's powers and duties.

President and secretary to be elected, qualifications,terms--commission's powers and duties.

256.653. 1. The commission members shall, at their firstmeeting, choose one of their number president of the commission,and elect some suitable person secretary, who shall serve untilhis successor is appointed and qualified, and who shall be aresident of the county or counties in which the district issituated and may or may not be a member of the commission.

2. The commission may adopt a seal with a suitable device,and shall keep a record of all its proceedings, which shall beopen to the inspection of all interested parties.

3. Any action by the commission shall be by majority vote,and each commissioner shall have one vote.

4. The commission shall:

(1) Monitor the quality and quantity of ground and surfacewater in the district;

(2) Implement a cooperative agreement with the departmentof natural resources to share information obtained under theprovisions of sections 256.614 and 256.615 and any otherinformation under sections 256.600 to 256.637 applicable to thecollection of any fees established by the commission undersection 256.655. Any information obtained by the departmentwhich identifies a test hole or a monitoring irrigation wellwhich was drilled in the exploration of minerals shall remainconfidential and shall not be released by the department to thecommission;

(3) Require all water users in the district with irrigationwells measuring six inches or greater in diameter to annuallyreport usage and number and location of irrigation wells. Thedepartment of natural resources shall provide, to the district,copies of water usage and irrigation well location reportsreceived under the drinking water program, chapter 640, RSMo, orsection 256.410, from all users within the district withinfifteen working days of receipt of such reports;

(4) Review and comment on the state water plan and anyrevisions thereto;

(5) Develop water management plans for the district inconsultation with the department of natural resources and thestate water plan advisory board, after public notice and hearingsthereon.

5. The commission may:

(1) Hold such other hearings as may be necessary;

(2) Classify ground and surface water consistent with anyclassification system employed by the department of naturalresources or any other recognized classification system approvedby the commission;

(3) Initiate water studies in the district;

(4) Establish criteria for evaluating the need forirrigation well spacing requirements, criteria for assessingwater quality and recommendations for steps to be taken if waterquality or quantity deteriorates or if water quality or quantityis threatened;

(5) Contract with public and private entities;

(6) Accept grants and other funds and budget for same;

(7) Adopt rules after public notice and hearings thereon;

(8) Represent the district before state and federalagencies.

6. Nothing in subsections 4 to 6 of this section shall beconstrued to limit the powers, duties or authority of the wellinstallation board as provided in sections 256.600 to 256.640.