SUMMARY OF 2005 SIGNED LEGISLATION

AB 174 / Salinas / Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency: eminent domain / Chapter 32
This bill authorizes the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency to acquire, by eminent domain, property outside the boundaries of the Agency, other than property of another public agency, for the purpose of constructing a specified pipeline and related appurtenant facilities to deliver supplemental water to the agency, upon receiving the approval, by resolution, of the board of supervisors of the county in which the affected property is situated.
AB 466 / Matthews / Natural Resources: Department of Fish and Game: California Bay-Delta Authority / Chapter 567
This bill authorizes the use of State funds to match federal funds for the purpose of funding the activities of the Alluvial Fan Task Force, as specified under AB 2141 (Longville, 2004).
AB 515 / Richman / Water Project: solar photovoltaic panels and systems / Chapter 368
This bill permits the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to establish a program allowing private entities to lease space above or adjacent tothe State Water Project (SWP) for the purpose of installing solar photovoltaic panels and generating electricity from those panels. This bill also requires that a proposal submitted to DWR for evaluation must include an engineering study of the proposed solar photovoltaic panels and related systems, with the costs of the study and DWR’s evaluation to be paid by the person or entity making the request. Finally, this bill allows DWR, upon approval of the proposal, to negotiate any level of compensation necessary to cover its costs.
AB 1200 / Laird / Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta / Chapter 573
This bill requires DWR to prepare a report evaluating the impacts on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water supplies onvarious possible future events, including levee subsidence, earthquakes, floods and climate change,no later than January 1, 2008. The report would also require DWR, in cooperation with the Department of Fish and Game, to comparatively rate the options available to prevent disruption of delta water supplies, improve delta drinking water quality, reduce the salts in delta water, maintain delta water quality, preserve delta lands, protect area of origin water rights, protect infrastructure located in the delta, and restore salmon and other fisheries in the delta.
AB 1328 / Wolk / Wild and scenic rivers: Cache Cree / Chapter 576
This bill includes various sections of Cache Creek, located in Lake and YoloCounties, within the California Wild and ScenicRiver system. This bill protects existing and future water rights for various public water agencies within the Cache Creek watershed; provides that the wild and scenic designation would not hinder efforts to remove invasive species or toxic substances from the river; and, prohibits the State from petitioning for a federal wild and scenic designation of the river.
SB 71 / Budget Committee / Resources / Chapter 81
This bill provides for the continuous appropriation of $12 million from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal Beach Protection Fund of 2002 to the Wildlife Conservation Board for expenditure to assist in acquisition, grants or other activities that directly restore the Salton Sea and its trans boundary watersheds.
SB 197 / Cox / Sly Park Reservoir / Chapter 252
This bill removes the requirement that ongoing water treatment commences on or before June 30, 2005, and instead requires the water treatment to commence before the reservoir may be used for recreational activity in which there is bodily contact with the water. The bill also removes the advanced technology treatment requirement and instead requires a treatment that complies with a specified federal standard.
SB 264 / Machado / Delta Flood Protection Fund / Chapter 582
This bill extends the Delta Flood Protection Fund until July 1, 2008, to help implement the Delta Levee Maintenance Subventions Program.
SB 347 / Ortiz / Flood control: AmericanRiver flood damage reduction project. / Chapter 584
This bill requires the State to cost share the funding for construction of a bridge at Folsom Dam as part of the Folsom Dam Mini-Raise Project. The bill provides that the State cost share shall be at least $5.2 million, but shall not exceed $9 million.
SB 373 / Kehoe / County water authority: encroachments / Chapter 599
This bill provides that an encroachment maintained in violation of a regulation is a public nuisance that is subject to abatement by bringing a civil proceeding.
SB 543 / Margett / State Water Project / Chapter 263
This bill requires individuals and entities to obtain a permit before construction, improvement, excavation, work or other use could be conducted within SWP right of way. This bill requires DWR to issue a general encroachment permit for routine operation and maintenance activities to public agencies that have a water delivery contract with DWR. The general encroachment permit would be issued for a period not to exceed 10 years. This bill provides that any person or entity responsible for an unauthorized encroachment would be guilty of a misdemeanor and liable for a $1,000 per day penalty.
SB 648 / Margett / CEQA: lead agencies: determinations / Chapter 267
This bill establishes time periods, under the California Environmental Quality Act, for public review and for review and comment by State agencies as established by the State.
SB 826 / Maldonado / State maintenance areas / Chapter 687
This bill requires The Reclamation Board or DWR, as applicable, to proceed with the formation of a maintenance area in accordance with specified procedures for any project for which an application for the formation of the maintenance area was submitted to DWR on or before July 1, 2003. This bill also requires DWR and the local agency to sign an indemnity agreement holding the State harmless for any damages arising out of the design, operation, maintenance, repair or rehabilitation of the project or dissolution or modification of a maintenance area.
SB 979 / Committee / Recreational uses of reservoirs / Chapter 139
This bill, for the Bear Lake Reservoir and the Canyon Lake Reservoir, deletes the requirement that the State Department of Health Services consult with the entity operating the reservoir at least 60 days prior to the effective date of any additional conditions or restrictions for bodily contact use.
SB 1009 / Florez / Water storage districts: election rolls / Chapter 275
This bill revises the manner in which a district election roll is prepared, including a requirement that the district board have a registered civil engineer prepare a preliminary election roll, and assign votes on the basis of one vote for each acre of land or portion thereof owned by that voter within the district, or on the basis of the benefits derived by each parcel from being within the boundaries of the district, or from receiving services from the district, or both.
SB 1110 / Committee on Natural Resources and Water / Public Resources / Chapter 383
This bill provides that the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney has three years to commence an action to recover civil penalties against an entity for violating a streambed alteration agreement or Memorandum of Understanding that was executed on or after January 1, 2004. This bill also provides a three-year statute of limitations for an action seeking a civil penalty against an entity that violates a requirement related to the alteration of a streambed.