Article 2. Environmental Water Fund of California Water Code >> Division 6. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 7.7. >> Article 2.

The Environmental Water Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. There shall be deposited in the fund all moneys transferred or appropriated to the fund and all income derived from investment of moneys that are in the fund.

The department shall expend the money appropriated to it from the Environmental Water Fund for projects or programs concerning the water resources of the state that will contribute significant environmental benefits.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000) of the funds that may be transferred, pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 12937, to the California Water Fund from the California Water Resources Development Bond Fund, shall be appropriated to the Environmental Water Fund. It is the intent of the Legislature, subject to subdivision (b), to appropriate to the Environmental Water Fund one million dollars ($1,000,000) in the 1990-91 fiscal year and eight million dollars ($8,000,000) per year in fiscal years 1991-92 to 1998-99, inclusive. However, the director, in consultation with the Department of Finance, may accelerate payments to the California Water Fund for appropriation to the Environmental Water Fund if the director deems it appropriate to do so.
  (b) It is the further intent of the Legislature that if the director determines that all or any portion of the amount that would otherwise be appropriated in any fiscal year to the Environmental Water Fund in accordance with subdivision (a), or to the Delta Flood Protection Fund pursuant to Section 12303, is required for continued construction of the State Water Resources Development System pursuant to Section 12938, the entire amount that would otherwise be appropriated to the Environmental Fund for that fiscal year shall be reduced to zero before any reduction is made in the amount to be appropriated to the Delta Flood Protection Fund. It is also the intent of the Legislature that any reduction in funds appropriated to the Environmental Water Fund and the Delta Flood Protection Fund pursuant to this subdivision be made up from funds transferred to the California Water Fund pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 12937 in subsequent fiscal years.

It is further the intent of the Legislature that the reductions and transfers described in Sections 11913, 12303, and 12929.12 shall continue until the obligation of the State Water Resources Development System to reimburse the California Water Fund pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 12937 is satisfied.

It is the intent of the Legislature that nine million dollars ($9,000,000) per year be appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the 1994-95 to 1997-98 fiscal years, inclusive, to pay for programs and projects included in the environmental water program.

From the funds appropriated to the department from the Environmental Water Fund, it is the intent of the Legislature that the department allocate at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per year, in the 1995-96 to 1997-98 fiscal years, inclusive, to programs and projects included in the Water Quality Program. However, not more than five million dollars ($5,000,000) of the funds appropriated to the Environmental Water Fund pursuant to Section 12929.12 shall be appropriated for this purpose.