California Assembly Bill AB903 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 903AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 12, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bill Berryhill FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to add Section 12206 to the Water Code, relating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 903, as amended, Bill Berryhill. Sacramento-San Joaquin  Delta.   Delta: dredging.   Under existing law, legislative findings and declarations state, among other things, that the water problems of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are unique within the state and that a general law cannot be made applicable to the Delta.   Existing law establishes various policies of the state relative to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  This bill would make legislative findings relative to the importance of dredging in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and  would  require the State Water Resources Control Board  , the Department of Water Resources, and the Department of Fish and Game to take specified actions with regard to dredging   to provide priority review for dredging permits in  the Delta. 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 12206 is added to the Water Code, to read: 12206. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Dredging is critical to all irrigated agricultural lands. (2) Dredging created the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region as we know it today. (3) Without continued dredging, the Delta as a community and an economically productive region will eventually be destroyed. (4) Dredging is critical to the Delta for flood control, levee improvements, improving native marine habitat  and   ,  reducing invasive species, removing mercury, and improving southern water exports. (5) The Army Corps of Engineers have   United States Army Corps of Engineers has  been dredging the deep water ship channel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for many years for purposes of improving the economy and advancing economic security. (b) In light of the above findings of the Legislature, the  state entities enumerated below shall do the following:   (1)     The  State Water Resources Control Board shall provide priority review for any dredging permits pending in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as defined in Section 12200.  (2) The Department of Water Resources shall expedite the implementation of the South Delta Improvements Program, including, particularly, the dredging of the Middle River.   (3) The Department of Fish and Game shall expedite the completion of any fish studies and biological opinions that may be required to complete the South Delta Improvements Program.