(1) An application to change a water right (Form No. 606) and applicable addendum must be filed when an applicant desires to change the point of diversion, place of use, purpose of use, or place of storage of a water right.

(2) A change application must contain sufficient factual documentation to constitute probable believable facts sufficient to support a reasonable legal theory upon which the department should proceed with the application.

(3) The department must consider historical use in determining whether changing the water right would constitute an enlargement in historic use of the original water right.

(4) Form No. 606 and applicable addendum must be filled in with the required information.

(5) The application must contain a brief narrative explaining the general nature of the requested changes to the water right and why it is being requested.

(6) Only an owner of record, as shown in the department's water right records, can apply to change a water right, except if a change application is for a water right lease pursuant to 85-2-436 , MCA, the change applicant must be the state of Montana, department of fish, wildlife, and parks.

(7) A current detailed water right abstract of each water right being changed must be submitted with proposed changes noted on the abstract. The abstract should reflect how the water right would appear if the change application was granted.

(8) Multiple water rights may be changed on one application if, upon completion of the project, the diversion, place of use, purpose, or storage information will be exactly the same for each changed water right. If not, separate applications must be filed.

(9) The legal descriptions for the point of diversion and place of use must be identified as required in ARM 36.12.110.

(10) Calculations showing how the historic and proposed flow rate, volume, and capacity were determined must be included in the application materials and the methodology employed must be described.

(11) Flow rate (in gpm or cfs) , volume (in acre-feet) or reservoir capacity (in acre-feet) will be rounded to the nearest tenth.

(12) The proposed diverted and consumed volume of water must be identified for each changed right. The diverted volume will likely be greater than the consumed volume. The consumed volume may include plant use, seepage water, wastewater, and deep percolation water. The consumed volume cannot include return flow.

(13) The time needed to complete and put the changed project into operation must be identified. Information must be included in the application materials that justify the requested time. The justification must include information that would lead a person not familiar with the project to conclude the period requested is reasonable and needed to complete the change and put the changed water right to use.

(14) For a change application that is only to add stock tanks to an existing stock water system, the following rules apply:

(a) Form No. 606 must be completed and must describe the details of the proposed project. Form No. 606 and applicable addendum must be filled in with the required information;

(b) a current department generated water right abstract of each water right being changed must be submitted. The proposed changes must be noted on the abstract. The abstract should reflect how the water right would appear if the change application was granted.

(c) the applicant must show that each water right to be changed has been used and must explain the extent of the historic use including the flow rate and volume; and

(d) the applicant must provide information to show that the historic flow rate diverted will be adequate even though the additional stock tanks may be further away from the source of supply.

(15) An applicant shall explain why required information is not applicable to the applicant's proposed project.