BILL NUMBER: AB 2480	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 13, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 31, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 5, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 17, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bloom

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Section 108.5 to the Water Code, relating to water.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   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.   infrastructure.
 The  bill,   bill would state the
particular importance to maintaining the reliability of California's
water supply of the source watersheds that supply the State Water
Project and the federal Central Valley Project and,  to the
extent feasible, would require  source watershed 
 the  maintenance and repair of these watersheds 
to receive financing consideration on the same 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.
   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 108.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:
   108.5.  (a) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of
the state that source watersheds are recognized and defined as
integral components of California's water  system. To
  infrastructure. 
    (b)     The source watersheds that supply
the state and federally operated systems, the State Water Project and
the federal Central Valley Project, collectively provide 80 percent
of state reservoir capacity   and are of particular
importance to maintaining the reliability of California's water
supply. To  the extent feasible, the maintenance and repair of
 source   these  watersheds and associated
projects shall receive financing consideration on the same basis with
other water collection and treatment infrastructure. 
   (b) 
    (c)  Eligible maintenance and repair activities pursuant
to this section are limited to the following forest ecosystem
management activities:
   (1) Upland vegetation management to restore the watershed's
productivity and resiliency.
   (2) Wet and dry meadow restoration.
   (3) Road removal and repair.
   (4) Stream channel restoration.
   (5) Conservation of private forests to preserve watershed
integrity through permanent prevention of conversion and degradation,
achieved through conservation easements.
   (6) Other projects with a demonstrated likelihood of increasing
conditions for water and snow attraction, retention, and release
under changing climate conditions.