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Photo: Department of Water Resources

Increased Enforcement for Illegal Water Diversion (Senate Bill No.8)

SB 8 improves accounting of the location and amounts of water being diverted by recasting and revising exemptions from the water diversion reporting requirements under current law. Additionally, this bill appropriates existing bond funds for various activities to benefit the Delta ecosystem and secure the reliability of the state’s water supply, and to increase staffing at the State Water Resources Control Board to manage the duties of this statute. Specifically, this bill:

• Provides a stronger accounting of water diversion and use in the Delta by removing an exemption from reporting water use by in-Delta water users.
  
  
• Redefines the types of diversions that are exempt from the reporting requirement.
  
  
• Assesses civil liability and monetary penalties on diverters who fail to submit the required reports, and for willful misstatements, and/or tampering with monitoring equipment.
  
  
• Appropriates $546 million from Propositions 1E and 84, in the following manner:
  • $250 million (Proposition 84) for integrated regional water management grants and expenditures for projects to reduce dependence on the Delta;
  • $202 million ($32 million Proposition 84 and $170 million Proposition 1E) for flood protection projects in the Delta to reduce the risk of levee failures that would jeopardize water conveyance;
  • $70 million (Proposition 1E) for stormwater management grants; and
  • $24 million (Proposition 84) for grants to local agencies to develop or implement Natural Community Conservation plans.
    
    
• Appropriates $3.75 million from the Water Rights Fund to the State Water Resources Control Board for staff positions to manage the duties in this bill relating to water diversion reporting, monitoring and enforcement.

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