Article 3. Applications For Water of California Water Code >> Division 13. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.

A district may fix and change a date prior to which applications for water for the ensuing irrigation season are to be received for all crops, or for annual crops and new plantings, and may require a cash deposit to be made at the time of application for each acre for which application is made.

The action of a district fixing or changing any date prior to which applications for water are to be received is ineffective until notice of the date is given by publication once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper published in the office county. The date fixed is effective for each year thereafter unless changed by the board.

The cash deposit shall, in the discretion of the board, be forfeited as to each acre not using the water applied for if the district has a sufficient supply of water available at the time the water is to be used.

In the event of water shortage the district may, with respect to the shortage area, give preference to or serve only the land for which application was filed prior to the application date fixed and the land for which no application was required.

If the available water is inadequate to serve all of the land as to which applications for water are filed pursuant to Section 35450, the district may require the owners of land which is proposed to be planted to annual crops or to new plantings to take a proportionate percentage reduction in the water they would normally use thereon and may require the owners of land which is planted to permanent crops to take a reasonable proportionate percentage reduction in the water they would normally use in an amount not exceeding the percentage reduction required of plantings to annual crops and new plantings. The provisions of this section shall be effective only if more than one-half of the district's revenue for that year will be derived from charges made for the sale of water.

In any year in which the board of a district not having meters or other volumetric measuring instruments or facilities to measure substantially all agricultural water to be delivered concludes the available water supply will be inadequate to serve all land entitled to service that will probably desire such service, the district may establish reasonable annual water requirements for growing each type of crop grown or likely to be grown in the district in that year; determine the maximum acreage of each crop that each holder of title to land, or his duly authorized agent or tenant, may irrigate with district water by dividing the quantity of water apportioned or apportionable to him by such reasonable annual water requirements so established by the district; limit the acreage of each crop that each such holder of title to land, or his duly authorized agent or tenant, may irrigate with district water to the maximum acreage or acreages so determined; and refuse to deliver water to, or assess penalities on, a holder of title to land, or his duly authorized agent or tenant, who uses district water on a greater acreage of such crops. Nothing in this section shall prohibit or limit the application of the provisions of Section 35453 or 35454. This section provides a means of measuring the allocation of water to lands based on the type of crop grown and does not authorize a district to designate the crops to be grown on such land.

Nothing in this article restricts or limits existing powers of a district to control and provide for distribution of water.