AB 2480, as amended, Bloom. Source watersheds: financing.
Existing law establishes various state water policies, including the policy that the Legislature consider other works as may be necessary to develop water to satisfy the requirements of the watershed in which water originates whenever the Legislature authorizes the construction or acquisition of a project that will develop water for use outside that watershed, as specified.
This bill would declare it to be state policy that source watersheds are recognized and defined as integral components of California’s water system. Thebegin delete bill would also declare that theirend deletebegin insert bill, to the extent feasible, would require source watershedend insert maintenance and repairbegin delete are eligible forend deletebegin insert
to receiveend insert financingbegin delete on an equivalentend deletebegin insert consideration on the sameend insert basis with other water collection and treatment infrastructure, and would specify that the maintenance and repair activities that are eligible are limited to certain forest ecosystem management activities.
Under existing law, the United States Bureau of Reclamation operates the federal Central Valley Project and the Department of Water Resources operates the State Water Resources Development System, known as the State Water Project, to supply water to persons and entities in the state.
end deleteThis bill would require the State Water Resources Control Board, in consultation with the department, to develop investment plans that prioritize actions for restoration and conservation to improve watershed function in the watersheds that flow into the Shasta Reservoir and the Oroville Reservoir.
end deleteVote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 108.5 is added to the Water Code, to
2read:
(a) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of
4the state that source watersheds are recognized and defined as
5integral components of California’s water system.begin delete Theend deletebegin insert To the
6extent feasible, theend insert maintenance and repair of source watersheds
7begin delete are eligible for financing on an equivalentend deletebegin insert and associated projects
8shall receive financing consideration on the sameend insert basis with other
9water collection and
treatment infrastructure.
10(b) Eligible maintenance and repair activities pursuant to this
11section are limited to the following forest ecosystem management
12activities:
13(1) Upland vegetation management to restore the watershed’s
14productivity and resiliency.
15(2) Wet and dry meadow restoration.
16(3) Road removal and repair.
17(4) Stream channel restoration.
18(5) Conservation of private forests to preserve watershed
19integrity through permanent prevention of conversion and
20degradation, achieved through conservation easements.
21(6) Other projects with a demonstrated likelihood of increasing
22conditions for water and snow attraction, retention, and release
23under changing climate conditions.
Chapter 3.3 (commencing with Section 12835) is added
25to Part 6 of Division 6 of the Water Code, to read:
On or before December 31, 2017, the board, in
4consultation with the department, shall develop investment plans
5that prioritize actions for restoration and conservation to improve
6watershed function in the watersheds that flow into the Shasta
7Reservoir and the Oroville Reservoir.
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