Plain English Breakdown
The bill states legislative intent but does not explicitly mandate that future permit applications must use this specific study, only that it is intended to serve as the analysis.
Study on Water Availability in Two Central Valley Watersheds
This law requires state agencies to select two watersheds in or draining into the Central Valley and asks a science council to study water availability there if funding is provided.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the Department of Water Resources, with help from other agencies, to choose two watersheds by January 1, 2028.
- Asks the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) to lead a study if the Legislature provides money for it.
- Directs the study team to find daily water flow rates in rivers, streams, and creeks from the past 30 years where data exists.
- Sets a deadline of two years after funding is approved to finish the study report.
Who It Names or Affects
- The Department of Water Resources
- The State Water Resources Control Board
- The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST)
- People or groups applying for permits to divert water into underground storage in the selected watersheds
Terms To Know
- Watershed
- An area of land where all rain and snow melt drain into a specific river, stream, or creek.
- Appropriation
- Money that the Legislature officially sets aside to pay for a project or study.
Limits and Unknowns
- The study will only happen if the Legislature votes to provide money for it.
- Water flow data from the past 30 years may not be available in some areas, which could limit what the study finds.
- The law does not name exactly which two watersheds will be chosen until agencies make that selection.