Annual Groundwater Production Reporting
All owners of non-exempt wells are required to report the annual groundwater production from those wells by March 1 of the following year. An Establishing a New Metering Method Form must be completed and filed with the District to ensure Annual Production Reports have accurate metering information.
Property owners should keep their contact and ownership information current with the District to receive annual groundwater-reporting notices. Owners who recently purchased groundwater rights may need to submit an Affidavit of Ownership and an Establishing a New Metering Method Form.
Flow Meter Requirements
All new and existing associated wells must have a district approved flow meter installed before pumping the well. The chart below shows the minimum totalizer requirements based on the classification of the well you have drilled.
Minimum Meter Totalizer Requirements
| Well Capacity (GPM) | Well Classification | Minimum Totalizer Capacity in Gallons | Minimum Totalizer Capacity in Acre-feet | Minimum Totalizer Capacity in Acre-inches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-17 | Non-Exempt | 7 digits | 2 digits | 3 digits |
| 18-100 | A | 8 digits | 3 digits | 4 digits |
| 101-400 | B | 9 digits | 3 digits | 4 digits |
| 401-800 | C | 9 digits | 4 digits | 5 digits |
| 801-1800 | D | 9 digits | 4 digits | 5 digits |
Flow meters are required to be installed according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Flow meters must display whether they read in gallons, acre feet, or acre-inches. They also must display the meter multiplier and have a non-resettable totalizer.
Please contact NPGCD before you purchase a meter if you are not sure what size meter you will need.
Establishing a New Metering Method
Meter Change
As of March 1, 2025, any meter submitted for reimbursement must also have a completed Meter Change Form included with the application.
If a meter is repaired or replaced, the District must be notified within 30 days. Submit the completed Meter Change Form to productionreporting@northplainsgcd.org.
Alternative Metering Methods
An owner may use an alternative metering method for all wells in existence before October 14, 2003 to report groundwater withdrawals from a GPU until the owner applies for a permit to construct a well or amend an existing Well Permit on the GPU. At that time the owner is required to install and report annual production from flow meters at the pump on the new well and all other wells within 365 days after the date the permit was issued. Owners of GPU’s of less than 640 acres and not contiguous with the owners other GPU’s may request to be allowed to install a flow meter at a central collection point.
Meter Reimbursement Forms
The District has a meter reimbursement program available to agricultural irrigation producers that may reimburse 50 percent of the cost of eligible flow meters. Visit the Meter Reimbursement Program page for full details, policies, and application forms.
To apply for the Meter Reimbursement Program, fill out the Meter Reimbursement Program Application, print and sign it, and return to permitting@northplainsgcd.org.
Visit the Meter Reimbursement Program page for full details and policies.
Groundwater Production Units
A Groundwater Production Unit (GPU) is required for anyone who owns groundwater rights within the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District. For recently purchased groundwater rights, the District requests that an Affidavit of Ownership be completed.
District staff can also assist producers with establishing GPUs for contiguous acreage to help maximize the Annual Allowable Production of 1.5 acre-feet per acre.
Combining Tracts into a GPU
A property owner may apply to combine multiple eligible sections or tracts into one Groundwater Production Unit when:
- the sections or tracts are contiguous;
- the GPU contains no more than 1,600 acres; and
- the distance between the most distant diagonal corners does not exceed 25,000 feet.
Establishing a GPU
A new GPU must be filed with and approved by the District by December 31 to take effect for that calendar year.
Once established, the GPU must remain in effect for at least one full calendar year.
Conservation Reserves
Once a new GPU is established, all previously banked conservation reserves return to zero. If applicable, reserve banking begins again after the GPU has been reported for one full calendar year, January through December.
