California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1671

Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier

February 12, 2014

An act to add Section 11291 to the Water Code, relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1671, as introduced, Frazier. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: water conveyance system.

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. Existing law provides for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of water development facilities by the state, including the State Water Project. Under existing law, State Water Project facilities include, among others, the facilities that are specified or authorized by the Legislature as part of the state Central Valley Project.

This bill would prohibit the department from constructing water facilities as part of a specified water conveyance system unless specifically authorized by the Legislature.

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 11291 is added to the Water Code, to
read:

11291.  

(a) The department shall not construct water facilities
as part of a water conveyance system that would convey water
from north Delta intakes by tunnel to the State Water Resources
Development System or the federal Central Valley Project pumping
facilities in the south Delta, unless specifically authorized by the
Legislature.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “Delta” means the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, as defined in Section 12220.