Plain English Breakdown
The bill text mentions exemptions from certain economic impact assessments under the Administrative Procedure Act but does not list which specific ones are skipped.
Water Rights for Small Restoration Projects
This law creates a new way to register water rights specifically for projects that restore or improve habitats for native fish and wildlife.
What This Bill Does
- Creates a new category called 'small restoration use' so people can get legal rights to take water by registering with the State Water Resources Control Board.
- Defines small restoration use as using water to preserve or enhance native fish and wildlife, specifically in connection with projects that restore, improve, or provide habitat for them.
- Requires the board to process applications faster if they include a plan to dedicate water permanently to streams or wetlands habitats.
- Sets a fee based on a schedule created by the board for anyone filing this type of registration.
- Applies existing rules about renewing registrations every 5 years and losing rights after 5 years of non-use to these new restoration projects.
Who It Names or Affects
- People or groups who want water rights for native fish and wildlife habitat projects
- The State Water Resources Control Board, which manages the registrations, fees, and general conditions
Terms To Know
- Small restoration use
- Using a small amount of water specifically to help native fish and wildlife by fixing or building their habitats.
- Registration fee
- The payment required when someone signs up for the right to take this type of water, based on a schedule set by the board.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not state specific dollar amounts for fees or exactly how much faster priority processing will be.
- It is unclear which specific economic impact assessments are exempted from rulemaking requirements, only that some exemptions apply.
- The exact general conditions the board must establish have not been listed in this summary.