Part 4. Co-operation And Contracts Between Private Entities And The United States of California Water Code >> Division 6. >> Part 4.

As used in this part, "person" means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, or company, but not including any public corporation or other public entity.

As used in this part, "United States" means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto.

If any provision of this part, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of the part, or the application of said provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.

Any person may co-operate and contract with the United States, under the Federal Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, and all acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto or under any other act of Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted permitting co-operation or contracts for any or all of the purposes set forth in Section 12004, whether under said federal reclamation laws, or otherwise.

The co-operation or contract may be for any or all of the following purposes:
  (a) Construction, acquisition, purchase, extension, operation or maintenance of works and facilities for irrigation, storage, drainage, flood control and generation and distribution of electric energy or either or any of these, or the use or enjoyment of any such works or facilities, or any rights or interests therein.
  (b) A water supply.
  (c) Assumption or creation, as principal or guarantor or otherwise, of indebtedness to the United States.
  (d) To receive or borrow money from the United States and provide for the repayment thereof, for the purpose of constructing projects, distribution systems or other works for the storage, regulation, control, development and distribution of water for the irrigation of land or for any other lawful use, or for the use, control and distribution of drainage water, or for flood control purposes, or for the generation or distribution of electric energy.

Any person has all powers, rights, and privileges necessary to enable such person to enter into any contract referred to in this part, and to carry out and perform the terms of any contract so made by such person, and may agree to impose and collect, and may impose and collect, any and all lawful assessments and charges required to carry out and perform any contract so made by such person.

Any person, for the purpose of performing the obligations of any contract entered into by such person under the provisions of this part, or for the purpose of obtaining any of the rights, benefits or privileges or assuming and performing any of the obligations or duties created or contemplated by the contracts referred to in this part, and either through the agency of or in co-operation with any other person or public entity or agency, may contract with any other person, or the United States, or the State of California, or any public corporation or agency, in relation thereto, including, but not by way of limitation, the financing thereof, or any other matter of performance thereof, or any other matter incident thereto.

Any person, by an action brought pursuant to the provisions of this part, may submit any contract or proposed contract entered into, or proposed to be entered into, by such person under the provisions of this part to the superior court of either the county in which such person resides or in which such person has its principal office for the transaction of business or in which such contract was made or is to be performed in whole or part, to determine the validity of such contract and each and all of its terms and provisions, and the authority of such person to make and perform the contract, and the authority for and validity of any purchase, acquisition, sale or conveyance under the contract; provided, that if the contract provides for a water supply such decree shall not be construed to be an adjudication that the United States owns, or does not own, such water supply.

The validation proceedings shall be an action in rem and shall be brought pursuant to the procedure provided by Sections 861, 862, 865, 866, 867, 868, and 870 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The provisions of this part are cumulative and are not intended to and they shall not be construed as repealing, amending, or otherwise affecting any other provisions of law.