Statement of Claimant (SOCs) & New Use Summons
The ADWR Adjudications Division provides technical assistance to the Superior Court in the General Stream Adjudication Proceedings. To assist the Court, Adjudications accepts the filing of Statements of Claimant (SOCs) and amendments and modifications of SOCs, investigates and reports on water uses as directed by the Court, and provides reports on various technical issues.
Statement of Claimant (SOC): a form that must be filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to claim water rights in Arizona. Generally, an SOC should be filed within 90 days of receipt of the new use summons. However, state law allows filing an SOC even after the initial 90-day period. If there are multiple uses on a property, a separate SOC will be needed for each type of water use, including domestic, irrigation, stockpond, and other uses.
The SOC should always be current (see Amendment to an SOC and/or Assignment of an SOC). Amendment to an SOC: SOCs should always be up to date. Any change of information to an already filed SOC, under the same owner of that SOC may include, but not be limited to, Claimant Mailing Address, Point of Diversion (POD), Point of Use (POU), Additional Uses, Means of Diversion, Annual Volume Claimed, and more, with proper documentation attached.
Assignment of an SOC: By court order, a statement of claimant must be assigned whenever there is a change in ownership of land for which the claim for a water right was made, or there is a change in ownership of the water right that is either not appurtenant to land or that has been transferred from one parcel of land to another.
Amendment of an SOC: If information on a statement of claimant needs to be updated, that does not reflect a change in ownership of the land (or which the claim for a water right was made, or there is a change in ownership of the water right that is either not appurtenant to land or that has been transferred from one parcel of land to another. See Assignment of an SOC).
How Does a New Use Summons Work?
When applying for a surface water right, filing a notice of intent to drill a new well, or submitting a late well registration, a New Use Summons letter is sent to the address you provided.
A New Use Summons will be issued by the Arizona Superior Court, which adjudicates water rights for watersheds in the Gila River System and the Little Colorado River System. The summons directs a filer to make any claims to water rights they may have by filing the appropriate court-approved forms. These forms are known as Statements of Claimants (SOCs) and are filed with ADWR. Claimants do not need to appear in court to file SOCs.
For more information, please visit the FAQ section in Help Center.
Using The Constituent Portal
Using our new online constituent portal, you’ll be able to fill and submit your forms online! Visit the Constituent Portal page on ADWR for helpful guides and more information.