AB 2373,
as amended, Gray. Merced Irrigationbegin delete Districtend deletebegin insert District.end insert
The Irrigation District Law provides for the formation of irrigation districts with prescribed powers, including acting to put to any beneficial use any water under the district’s control.
This bill would appropriate $45,000 from the General Fund to the Merced Irrigation District for implementingbegin insert on-farmend insert irrigationbegin insert systemend insert and water use efficiencybegin delete strategiesend deletebegin insert improvementsend insert for small communal farms in the County of Merced. The bill would require,
on or before April 30, 2018, the Merced Irrigation District to report to the Legislature how the appropriated funds were spent, how the funds resulted in improvement to irrigation efficiency, and how the funds reduced energy, fuel, and water usage. The bill would additionally require the report, to the greatest extent possible, to evaluate the effectiveness of expanding the program to assistance on small farms statewide.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Merced.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares that the
2implementation of irrigation and water use efficiency by farms
3benefits the public as a whole, reducing greenhouse gas emissions
4in the production of food and reducing the production costs of
5food, helping to keep food prices affordable for all Californians.
(a) There is hereby appropriated forty-five thousand
7dollars ($45,000) from the General Fund to the Merced Irrigation
8District for implementingbegin insert on-farmend insert irrigationbegin insert systemend insert and water use
9efficiencybegin delete strategiesend deletebegin insert improvementsend insert for small communal farms in
10the County of Merced. For purposes of this appropriation, small
11communal farms may include a
farm that is operated through an
12informal agreement by one or more families.begin insert For purposes of this
13section, on-farm irrigation system and water use efficiency
14improvements include, but are not limited to, any of the following:end insert
15
(1) Water pump maintenance, repair, or replacement including
16installation and drilling.
17
(2) Water well casing maintenance, repair, or replacement.
18
(3) Annual maintenance checks that may
include either of the
19following:
20
(A) Well cover or well cap maintenance, repair, or replacement.
21
(B) Slope and drainage construction or maintenance to counter
22the effects of subsidence.
23(b) (1) For purposes of determining the effectiveness of the
24appropriation in subdivision (a) on small communal farms, and
25the cumulative impact on the County of Merced as a whole, on or
26before April 30, 2018, the Merced Irrigation District shall report,
27at a minimum, to the Legislature all of the following:
28(A) How the appropriated funds were spent.
29(B) How the funds resulted in improvement to irrigation
30efficiency.
31(C) How the funds reduced energy, fuel, and water usage.
32(2) To the greatest extent possible, the report shall evaluate the
33effectiveness of expanding the program to assistance on small
34farms statewide.
35(3) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall
36be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
37Code.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
2is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
3within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
4Constitution because many communal farms in the County of
5Merced lack adequate economic opportunities as the county is
6home to a disproportionate number of disadvantaged communities
7with traditionally high levels of unemployment and poverty.
O
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