Ohio Code 1521.15 – Water resources inventory – long-term water resources plan for Lake Erie drainage basin
(A) The chief of the division of water resources shall develop and maintain, in cooperation with local, state, federal, and private agencies and entities, a water resources inventory for the collection, interpretation, storage, retrieval, exchange, and dissemination of information concerning the water resources of this state, including, but not limited to, information on the location, type, quantity, and use of those resources and the location, type, and quantity of consumptive use and diversion of the water resources. The water resources inventory also shall include, without limitation, information to assist in determining the reasonableness of water use and sharing under common law, promoting reasonable use and development of water resources, and resolving water use conflicts.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 1521.15
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Consumptive use: means a use of water resources, other than a diversion, that results in a loss of that water to the basin from which it is withdrawn and includes, but is not limited to, evaporation, evapotranspiration, and incorporation of water into a product or agricultural crop. See Ohio Code 1521.01
- Development: means any artificial change to improved or unimproved real estate, including the construction of buildings and other structures, any substantial improvement of a structure, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, and drilling operations, and storage of equipment or materials. See Ohio Code 1521.01
- Diversion: means a withdrawal of water resources from either the Lake Erie or Ohio river drainage basin and transfer to another basin without return. See Ohio Code 1521.01
- Other great lakes states and provinces: means states other than this state that are parties to the great lakes basin compact under Chapter 6161 of the Revised Code and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. See Ohio Code 1521.01
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Water resources: means any waters of the state that are available or may be made available to agricultural, industrial, commercial, and domestic users. See Ohio Code 1521.01
All agencies of the state shall cooperate with the chief in the development and maintenance of the inventory.
(B) The chief shall cooperate with the other great lakes states and provinces to develop a common base of data regarding the management of the water resources of the Lake Erie drainage basin and to establish systematic arrangements for the exchange of those data.