Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 937

Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

February 26, 2015

An act begin insert to amend Section 1242 of the Water Code, end insert relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 937, as amended, Salas. Groundwater begin delete recharge. end delete begin insert storage: beneficial use. end insert

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 declares that the storing of water underground, and related diversions for that purpose, constitute a beneficial use of water if the stored water is thereafter applied to the beneficial purposes for which the appropriation for storage was made.

begin delete

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to groundwater recharge.

end delete begin insert

This bill would declare that the recharging of a groundwater basin by a local groundwater management agency or a local groundwater sustainability agency for the purposes of repelling saline intrusion or recovering basin groundwater levels and the flowing of waters on lands or other similar means necessary for the accomplishment of groundwater recharge for these purposes, constitutes a beneficial use of water if the recharge is consistent with the local agency’s groundwater management plan or groundwater sustainability plan.

end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 1242 of the end insert begin insert Water Code end insert begin insert is amended to
read: end insert

1242.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert The storing of water underground, including the
diversion of streams and the flowing of water on lands necessary
to the accomplishment of such storage, constitutes a beneficial use
of water if the water so stored is thereafter applied to the beneficial
purposes for which the appropriation for storage was made.

begin insert

(b) The recharging of a groundwater basin by a local
groundwater management agency or a local groundwater
sustainability agency for the purposes of recovering basin
groundwater levels or repelling saline intrusion and the flowing
of waters on lands or other similar means necessary for the
accomplishment of groundwater recharge for these purposes,
constitutes a beneficial use of water if the local agency has
determined that the recharge is consistent with the local agency’s
groundwater management plan or groundwater sustainability plan
adopted pursuant to Part 2.75 (commencing with Section 10750)
or Part 2.74 (commencing with Section 10720) of Division 6,
respectively.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation relating to groundwater recharge.

end delete