For purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Department" means the department of ecology;

(2) "Director" means the director of ecology;

(3) "Groundwaters" means all waters that exist beneath the land surface or beneath the bed of any stream, lake or reservoir, or other body of surface water within the boundaries of this state, whatever may be the geological formation or structure in which such water stands or flows, percolates or otherwise moves. There is a recognized distinction between natural groundwater and artificially stored groundwater;

(4) "Natural groundwater" means water that exists in underground storage owing wholly to natural processes;

(5) "Artificially stored groundwater" means water that is made available in underground storage artificially, either intentionally, or incidentally to irrigation and that otherwise would have been dissipated by natural processes; and

(6) "Underground artificial storage and recovery project" means any project in which it is intended to artificially store water in the ground through injection, surface spreading and infiltration, or other department-approved method, and to make subsequent use of the stored water. However, (a) this subsection does not apply to irrigation return flow, or to operational and seepage losses that occur during the irrigation of land, or to water that is artificially stored due to the construction, operation, or maintenance of an irrigation district project, or to projects involving water reclaimed in accordance with chapter 90.46 RCW; and (b) RCW 90.44.130 applies to those instances of claimed artificial recharge occurring due to the construction, operation, or maintenance of an irrigation district project or operational and seepage losses that occur during the irrigation of land, as well as other forms of claimed artificial recharge already existing at the time a groundwater subarea is established.

Purpose—Short title—Construction—Rules—Severability—Captions—1987 c 109: See notes following RCW 43.21B.001.

Purpose—1973 c 94: "It is the purpose of this 1973 amendatory act to state as well as reaffirm the intent of the legislature that "groundwaters," as defined in chapter 263, Laws of 1945, means all waters within the state existing beneath the land surface, and to remove any possible ambiguity which may exist as a result of the dissenting opinion in State v. Ponten, 77 Wn.2d 463 (1969), or otherwise, with regard to the meaning of "groundwaters" in the present wording of RCW 90.44.035. The definition set forth in section 2 of this 1973 amendatory act accords with the interpretation given by all of the various administrative agencies having responsibility for administration of the act since its enactment in 1945." [ 1973 c 94 s 1.] This applies to the amendment to RCW 90.44.035 by 1973 c 94 s 2.