Rules and regulations.

The state engineer shall prescribe and enforce reasonable rules and regulations consistent with the terms of this act [72-13-1 to 72-13-12 NMSA 1978] governing the drilling, casing, repairing, plugging and abandonment of artesian wells, and, where necessary, may vary such rules and regulations with the varying conditions in the different artesian basins; provided, however, that the state engineer shall first consult with the board of directors of the artesian conservancy district in any such artesian basin to the end that such rules and regulations shall properly meet the requirements of such artesian basin. The owner of the lands upon which any artesian well is situated or is to be drilled or his or its agent or attorney shall make application to the state engineer for permit to drill, repair, plug or abandon an artesian well, setting forth the plan of operations to be performed, which shall conform with the provisions of this act and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, and said application shall be approved by the state engineer before work thereon can proceed. Before proceeding with any such work, the state engineer shall require, either of the owner of the land upon which the work is to be performed or of the contractor who is to perform the same, a bond approved by the state engineer in the sum of not to exceed five thousand ($5,000) dollars, conditioned upon the proper compliance with the provisions of this act and all rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Such bond shall be made payable to the state of New Mexico for the use and benefit of the state engineer. In the event of the breach of the conditions of the bond and upon the failure or refusal of the principal to comply with the provisions thereof, it shall be the duty of the state engineer to condition said artesian well to conform with the provisions of this act and the rules and regulations pursuant thereto and to recover on account of said bond the expense of such work, excepting that in no case shall the sum recovered exceed the amount of the bond. The state engineer and those authorized by him may go upon the land where the well is situated to perform such work as he shall deem necessary and the owner thereof shall be deemed to have consented thereto by his act of filing the application for permit to perform the work as above provided. The well shall be inspected by the state engineer or his representatives as soon as practicable and within ninety days after the receipt of notice that the work has been completed, and upon written acceptance of such work by the state engineer, said bond shall thereupon be of no further force or effect, and the bondsmen shall be relieved from further liability thereunder.