The Owyhee Irrigation District falls under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. All water users within our district are subject to, “The concept of acreage limitation provisions with regard to Reclamation irrigation water, which refers to the ownership limitation specified in Federal reclamation law” (Public Law 97-293). Your entitlement under category one (1) is two hundred and forty (240) acres, this includes both rented/leased and owned ground, within the 17 western states. If you have gone over that entitlement, you must now file an RRA form. It is required by Federal law that these forms be completed before any irrigation water can be received. Please come to the office to complete these forms. We will need signatures from both you and your spouse. These forms can also be sent to you. Please contact the office if you would prefer the documents be sent via mail, email, or fax.

What are the RRA forms?

• • Certification forms are for landholders (direct or indirect landowners or lessees) that are subject to the discretionary provisions of the RRA.
• • Declaration forms are used by trusts, public entities, and farm operators, regardless of whether the land (or the land they operate, in the case of a farm operator) is located in a prior law or discretionary provisions district.
• • Supplemental forms are for landholders who must identify full-cost, nonfull-cost, excess, and/or nonexcess land (for example, landholders who exceed their ownership or nonfull-cost entitlements).

Who must submit RRA forms?

• • All landholders who hold (directly or indirectly own or lease) nonexempt land (irrigable or irrigation land that is subject to the acreage limitation provisions) within Reclamation projects AND who exceed the applicable RRA forms submittal threshold (240 acres).
• o Generally, irrigable land is land that is, can be, or is planned to be provided with Reclamation irrigation water through facilities that are provided or planned to be provided. Irrigation land is any land receiving Reclamation irrigation water for irrigation purposes (unless exempted under certain circumstances).
• • Landholders are considered to be individuals, married couples and their dependents, legal entities (partnerships, corporations, trusts, estates, joint tenancies, tenancies-in-common, etc.), religious or charitable organizations, and public entities.
• • The direct owner of a parcel of land is the individual(s) or entity(ies) specified on the title to the land as recorded in the applicable county.
• • If land is leased, the lessee must annually submit an RRA form. If the landowner must also submit an RRA form for landholdings, information on the lease must be provided on the landowner’s form.
• • If land is subleased, the sublessee must annually submit an RRA form. If the lessee must also submit an RRA form for landholdings other than the subleased land, information on the sublease must be provided on the lessee’s form.
• • Certain farm operators must annually submit an RRA form. See Fact Sheet 15(Leases and Farm Operating Arrangements) for more information.
• • If required RRA forms are not annually submitted, you (or the entity, trust, or estate in which you have an interest) will not be eligible to receive Reclamation irrigation water, even if other existing requirements are met. Delivery of Reclamation irrigation water to land without an RRA form on file is a violation of the RRA, the Acreage LimitationRules and Regulations (43 CFR1 part 426; Regulations), and the InformationRequirements for Certain Farm Operations in Excess of 960 Acres and the Eligibility of Certain Formerly Excess Land (43 CFR part 428).

When are RRA forms submitted?

• • All required RRA forms for the water year in question must be on file at your district before you receive Reclamation irrigation water deliveries for that water year, as a condition for the receipt of irrigation water from a Reclamation facility.
• • Landholders whose westwide landholdings (all nonexempt land that is directly or indirectly owned or leased in the 17 Western States where Reclamation has projects) total more than the RRA forms submittal threshold (240 acres) must annually submit RRA forms.
• Multi-district landholders that hold land in more than one district MUST submit forms based on their westwide landholdings and the forms submittal threshold for each district in which the land is located.
• • Each district may establish a due date for the RRA forms. Contact your district (or districts, if you hold land in multiple districts) to see if a due date has been established.
• • Every time you have a landholding change (a change in ownership, number of acres leased, etc.) you must submit a new RRA form to all districts in which you hold land within 60 calendar days of the date the landholding change became effective.

Where must RRA forms be submitted?

• • You must submit RRA forms to each district in which you directly or indirectly own or lease nonexempt land.
• • If you contract directly with Reclamation, submit your RRA forms to the appropriate Reclamation office.
• • Farm operators who are required to complete a Form 7-21FARMOP must submit a Form 7-21FARMOP to each district in which they provide services. See Fact Sheet 15(Lease and Farm Operating Arrangements) for more information.

Who is responsible for the information on an RRA form?

• • Landholders are ultimately responsible for the thoroughness and accuracy of the information provided on the RRA forms. This applies even if another party (a district employee, attorney, accountant, relative, etc.) completes the RRA form for a landholder. RRA FACT SHEET 1 PAGE 4
• • All landholders must sign their own RRA forms, or provide legal documents (such as signature authorizations) that allow someone else to sign. See Fact Sheet 10 (SignatureRequirements for RRA Forms) for more information.