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Bills

AB 2649: State Water Project: water supply contracts.

  • Session Year: 2017-2018
  • House: Assembly
Version:

Under existing law, the Department of Water Resources operates the State Water Resources Development System, known as the State Water Project, in accordance with the California Water Resources Development Bond Act to supply water to persons and entities in the state. Existing law requires the department to present to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of both houses of the Legislature the details of the terms and conditions of a long-term water supply contract between the department and a state water project contractor and to submit a copy of one long-term contract, as prescribed.

This bill would instead require the department to provide at least 10 days notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature before holding public sessions to negotiate any potential amendment of a long-term water supply contract that is of projectwide significance with substantially similar terms intended to be offered to all contractors, or that would permanently transfer a contractual water amount between contractors. The bill would require the department, before the execution of a specified proposed amendment to a long-term water supply contract and not later than 60 days before final approval of such a proposed amendment, to submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature certain information regarding the terms and conditions of a proposed amendment of a long-term water supply contract and to submit a copy of the long-term contract as it is proposed to be amended.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law allows a person who has an urgent need to divert and use water to apply for, and the board to issue, a temporary permit, as prescribed. Existing law requires an applicant to pay an application fee and a permit fee, if a temporary permit is issued, both computed as specified.Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. Existing law requires a groundwater sustainability plan to be developed and implemented to meet the sustainability goal, established as prescribed.This bill would authorize a groundwater sustainability agency or local agency to apply for, and the board to issue, a conditional temporary permit for diversion of surface water to underground storage for beneficial use that advances the sustainability goal of a groundwater basin, as specified. Existing law allows a permittee or licensee who has an urgent need to change a point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use to petition for, and the board to issue, a temporary change order, subject to certain restrictions. This bill would authorize a groundwater sustainability agency or local agency to petition for, and the board to issue, a conditional temporary change order that authorizes the diversion of surface water to underground storage for beneficial use that advances the sustainability goal of a groundwater basin, as specified.The California Constitution requires that the water resources of the state be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable and that the waste or unreasonable use or unreasonable method of use of water be prevented.Under existing law, the right to water or to the use of water is limited to that amount of water that may be reasonably required for the beneficial use to be served. Existing law provides for the reversion of water rights to which a person is entitled when the person fails to beneficially use the water for a period of 5 years. Existing law provides that the storing of water underground, including the diversion of streams and the flowing of water on lands necessary to the accomplishment of the storage, constitutes a beneficial use of water if the stored water is thereafter applied to the beneficial purposes for which the appropriation for storage was made.This bill would instead provide that, consistent with the applicable permit or license, any diversion of water to underground storage constitutes a diversion of water for beneficial use if the diverted water is put to beneficial use, as specified.

Discussed in Hearing

Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations1H
Aug 16, 2018

Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations

Assembly Floor3MIN
May 31, 2018

Assembly Floor

Assembly Standing Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife42MIN
Apr 24, 2018

Assembly Standing Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife

View Older Hearings

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AB 2649: State Water Project: water supply contracts. | Digital Democracy