BILL NUMBER: AB 937	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Salas

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2015

   An act to  amend Section 1242 of   add
Section 239 to  the Water Code, relating to water.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 937, as amended, Salas. Groundwater  storage:
beneficial use.   planning: technical assistance:
disadvantaged communities. 
   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. 
   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.
 
   This bill would require the Department of Water Resources to
provide technical assistance to disadvantaged communities so that
they may participate in groundwater planning, including, but not
limited to, plans for regional groundwater banking, with any county
or other local agency. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 239 is added to the  
Water Code   , to read:  
   239.  The department shall provide technical assistance to
disadvantaged communities so that they may participate in groundwater
planning, including, but not limited to, plans for regional
groundwater banking, with any county or other local agency. 

  SECTION 1.    Section 1242 of the Water Code is
amended to read:
   1242.   (a)  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.
   (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.