BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 148
Page 1
Date of Hearing: January 23, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 148 (V. Manuel Perez) - As Amended: January 6, 2014
Policy Committee: Water, Parks and
Wildlife Vote: 15-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill makes technical and clarifying changes to provisions
of law relating to Salton Sea restoration. Specifically, this
bill:
1)Clarifies the state's responsibility under existing law and
the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA).
2)Clarifies and revises provisions prohibiting any feasibility
study or related activities from delaying the planning and
implementation of any ongoing and planned mitigation or
restoration project under the Salton Sea Species Conservation
Habitat Project or state and federal programs or agreements.
3)Deletes the word "permanently" from language stating
legislative intent to protect fish and wildlife dependent on
the Salton Sea ecosystem.
FISCAL EFFECT
No state costs.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill provides
technical and clarifying revisions requested by the
Administration to provisions contained in legislation enacted
last year (AB 71, chapter 402, statutes of 2013). AB 71
provided a governance structure and prescribed activities for
Salton Sea restoration efforts following the elimination of
the Salton Sea Restoration Authority.
AB 148
Page 2
The Salton Sea Restoration Council was created in 2010 to
serve as the state agency responsible for overseeing
restoration. The Council was tasked with reviewing the 2007
PEIR and making final funding and restoration recommendations
to the Legislature by June 2013.
The Governor's 2012 Reorganization plan, as modified by the
Legislature, eliminated the Council before they held their
first meeting.
2)Background. The Salton Sea, California's largest lake was
formed in 1905 when the Colorado River flooded its banks at a
faulty irrigation diversion site. Restoration is necessary to
protect fish and wildlife habitat, preserve endangered species
and remediate the salinity caused by agricultural runoff.
Restoring the sea will help prevent future significant air
quality problems resulting from the shrinking sea.
The Salton Sea is one of the most important wetland areas in
the world for shorebirds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.
3) The Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). The QSA was a
negotiated settlement among the Imperial Irrigation District,
The Metropolitan District of Southern California, the
Coachella Water District, the San Diego Water Authority and
the state to settle claims to Colorado River water. It
provided a path for the state to reduce its consumption of
Colorado River water to its 4.4 million acre foot entitlement.
In 2003, the Legislature enacted a package of QSA
implementing bills including a requirement to restore the
Salton Sea. Under the QSA, the amount of water flowing into
the Sea will be significantly reduced in 2017. Without
restoration efforts, the environmental consequences of the
reduced flows will be significant to fish, wildlife, habitat
and air quality.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 148
Page 3