California Assembly Bill AB937 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 937AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Salas FEBRUARY 26, 2015 An act to  amend Section 1242 of   add Section 239 to  the Water Code, relating to water. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 937, as amended, Salas. Groundwater  storage: beneficial use.   planning: technical assistance: disadvantaged communities.  Under existing law, the right to water or to the use of water is limited to that amount of water that may be reasonably required for the beneficial use to be served. Existing law declares that the storing of water underground, and related diversions for that purpose, constitute a beneficial use of water if the stored water is thereafter applied to the beneficial purposes for which the appropriation for storage was made.  This bill would declare that the recharging of a groundwater basin by a local groundwater management agency or a local groundwater sustainability agency for the purposes of repelling saline intrusion or recovering basin groundwater levels and the flowing of waters on lands or other similar means necessary for the accomplishment of groundwater recharge for these purposes, constitutes a beneficial use of water if the recharge is consistent with the local agency's groundwater management plan or groundwater sustainability plan.   This bill would require the Department of Water Resources to provide technical assistance to disadvantaged communities so that they may participate in groundwater planning, including, but not limited to, plans for regional groundwater banking, with any county or other local agency.  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 239 is added to the   Water Code   , to read:   239. The department shall provide technical assistance to disadvantaged communities so that they may participate in groundwater planning, including, but not limited to, plans for regional groundwater banking, with any county or other local agency.   SECTION 1.   Section 1242 of the Water Code is amended to read: 1242. (a) The storing of water underground, including the diversion of streams and the flowing of water on lands necessary to the accomplishment of such storage, constitutes a beneficial use of water if the water so stored is thereafter applied to the beneficial purposes for which the appropriation for storage was made. (b) The recharging of a groundwater basin by a local groundwater management agency or a local groundwater sustainability agency for the purposes of recovering basin groundwater levels or repelling saline intrusion and the flowing of waters on lands or other similar means necessary for the accomplishment of groundwater recharge for these purposes, constitutes a beneficial use of water if the local agency has determined that the recharge is consistent with the local agency's groundwater management plan or groundwater sustainability plan adopted pursuant to Part 2.75 (commencing with Section 10750) or Part 2.74 (commencing with Section 10720) of Division 6, respectively.