Chapter 6. Co-operation With The United States of California Water Code >> Division 15. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 6.

A district 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 any act of Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted permitting co-operation.

The co-operation and 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 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 as principal or guarantor 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 district or for any distribution district or improvement district formed therein, which said works shall be used for the storage, regulation, control, development and distribution of water for irrigation of land or for the use, control and distribution of drainage water within the district or for flood control purposes.

A district may carry out and perform the terms of any contract so made.

A proposal to enter into a contract with the United States under terms of this chapter shall be authorized at an election. The board, by order entered upon its records, shall order a special election to be held at some place in the district to be designated by the board, and at such special election the board shall submit to the landowners the question of whether the contract shall be entered into by the district.

Proceedings at the election shall be had insofar as applicable in the manner provided in the case of elections provided for in Chapter 3 (commencing at Section 50800) of Part 4 of this division.

Notice of the election shall specify:
  (a) The time and place of election.
  (b) The purpose of the election.
  (c) A brief statement of the general purpose of the contract.
  (d) The amount of money to be paid to the United States under the contract.

The ballots at the election shall contain a brief statement of the general purpose of the contract substantially as stated in the notice of election and the amount of money to be paid to the United States under the contract with the words "Contract--Yes" and "Contract--No."

The board may execute the contract on behalf of the district if a majority of the votes cast at the election favor the contract.

Without limiting the generality of Section 50971, when a contract has been executed with the United States under this chapter, the board may, by resolution, provide for an assessment upon the land to be benefited by such contract to pay all or any portion of the amounts to become due under the contract. Such assessment may be levied and collected in the same manner as any other district assessment might be levied and collected, as deemed appropriate by the board. As an alternative to such levy of an assessment, or in addition thereto, the board may derive all or a portion of the amounts to be paid to the United States under the contract by the collection of charges from the persons to or for whom the water was furnished, under the provisions of Section 50911.

An action to determine the validity of any contract may be brought pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.