(1) The Water Resources Commission shall accept all registration statements referred to in ORS § 537.605 completed and returned to the commission in proper form, endorse on the registration statement the date of the return and record each statement. Upon recording the statement, the commission shall issue to the registrant a certificate as evidence that the registration is completed.

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(2) The issuance of the certificate of registration serves as prima facie evidence that the registrant is entitled to a right to appropriate ground water and apply it to beneficial use to the extent and in the manner disclosed in the recorded registration statement and in the certificate of registration.

(3) A certificate of registration issued under this section may not be construed as a final determination of any matter stated in the certificate of registration. The right of the registrant to appropriate ground water under a certificate of registration is subject to determination under ORS § 537.670 to 537.695, and is not final or conclusive until so determined and a ground water right certificate issued. A right to appropriate ground water under a certificate of registration has a tentative priority from the date when the construction of the well was begun.

(4) The commission shall adopt by rule the process and standards by which the commission will recognize changes in the place of use, type of use or point of appropriation for claims to appropriate ground water registered under this section. The commission shall adopt fees not to exceed $1,820 for actions taken to modify a certificate of registration. [1955 c.708 § 8; 1985 c.673 § 51; 2005 c.614 § 1; 2009 c.819 8,15; 2013 c.644 6,7; 2017 c.571 5,6; 2021 c.515 § 3]