(a) At the conclusion of the hearing, the commission shall cancel the permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication in whole or in part to the extent that it finds that:
(1) the water or any portion of the water appropriated under the permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication has not been put to an authorized beneficial use during the 10-year period; and
(2) the holder has not used reasonable diligence in applying the water or the unused portion of the water to an authorized beneficial use or is otherwise unjustified in the nonuse.
(b) In determining what constitutes reasonable diligence or a justified nonuse as used in Subsection (a)(2), the commission shall give consideration to:
(1) whether sufficient water is available in the source of supply to meet all or part of the appropriation during the 10-year period of nonuse;
(2) whether the nonuse is justified by the holder’s participation in the federal Conservation Reserve Program or a similar governmental program as provided by § 11.173(b)(1);
(3) whether the existing or proposed authorized purpose and place of use are consistent with an approved regional water plan as provided by § 16.053;
(4) whether the permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication has been deposited into the Texas Water Bank as provided by Sections 15.7031 and 15.704 or whether it can be shown that the water right or water available under the right is currently being made available for purchase through private marketing efforts; or
(5) whether the permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication has been reserved to provide for instream flows or bay and estuary inflows.

Terms Used In Texas Water Code 11.177

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Certificate of adjudication: means a certificate issued by the commission under § 11. See Texas Water Code 11.171
  • Certified filing: means a declaration of appropriation or affidavit that was filed with the State Board of Water Engineers under the provisions of Section 14, Chapter 171, General Laws, Acts of the 33rd Legislature, 1913, as amended. See Texas Water Code 11.171
  • Permit: means an authorization by the commission granting a person the right to use water. See Texas Water Code 11.171