BILL NUMBER: AB 1649	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Salas
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Gallagher, Gray, and
Patterson)
   (Coauthors: Senators Berryhill, Cannella, Fuller, Galgiani, and
Vidak)

                        JANUARY 12, 2016

   An act relating to water storage.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1649, as introduced, Salas. Water Quality, Supply, and
Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: water storage projects.
   Existing law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at
the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the
issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000
to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement
program. The act continuously appropriates $2,700,000,000 to the
California Water Commission for public benefits associated with water
storage projects, as specified.
   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation to ensure surface water storage is funded and built
consistent with the goals of Proposition 1 and that the commission
fulfills the original intent of the water storage project provisions
of Proposition 1. The bill would make findings and declarations of
the Legislature, including, but not limited to, that, of the water
storage projects available, the Temperance Flat Dam and Sites
Reservoir will meet statewide goals and provide those specified
public benefits to the greatest extent.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) According to the United states drought Monitor, over 90
percent of California is in "Severe Drought," raising concerns over
water supply dependability and underscoring the need for immediate
statewide action.
   (b) On November 4, 2014, voters approved Proposition 1, the Water
Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, which
authorizes $7,545,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance a
water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program, and
continuously appropriates from the revenue of those bonds
$2,700,000,000 for water storage projects, including, but not limited
to, dams and reservoirs.
   (c) With the promise of increased water storage, voters approved
Proposition 1 by 67 percent. The argument in favor of Proposition 1
in the state's official voter information guide states "Proposition 1
invests in new storage increasing the amount of water that can be
stored during wet years for the dry years that will continue to
challenge California."
   (d) Expanding and improving California's water storage capacity is
long overdue. The last time California saw significant state and
federal investments in the state's water storage and delivery system
was in the 1960s, when the state's population stood at 16 million.
Today, that same system supports 38 million individuals and will need
to support 50 million by 2050.
   (e) Statewide water storage goals, as outlined in Chapter 8 of
Proposition 1 (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 79750) of Division
26.7 of the Water Code), are necessary to update California's aging
water infrastructure, provide reliable water supply for the public
and our agricultural economy, and protect the environmental health of
the Delta.
   (f) A water storage project may only be funded by Chapter 8 of
Proposition 1 (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 79750) of Division
26.7 of the Water Code) if it provides specified public benefits,
including: ecosystem improvements; water quality improvements to the
Delta and river systems that provide public trust resources or
restore groundwater resources; flood control benefits, including
increases in reservoir storage capacity in response to decreasing
snow pack; emergency response, including securing emergency water
supplies for salinity repulsion; and recreational purposes.
   (g) Of the water storage projects available, the Temperance Flat
Dam and Sites Reservoir will meet statewide goals and provide all of
these public benefits to the greatest extent. These projects will
allow California to store more water in years of high rainfall, which
will ease pressures placed on the Delta and groundwater supply
during years of prolonged drought, and facilitate the storage of snow
melt and timed releases of water to improve flow conditions and
water temperatures.
  SEC. 2.  It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation
to ensure surface water storage is funded and built consistent with
the goals of Proposition 1 and that the California Water Commission
fulfills the original intent of Chapter 8 of Proposition 1 (Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 79750) of Division 26.7 of the Water Code).