Chapter 8. Integrated Regional Water Management of California Water Code >> Division 26.5. >> Chapter 8.

The sum of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000) shall be available for appropriation by the Legislature from the fund for competitive grants for projects set forth in this section to protect communities from drought, protect and improve water quality, and improve local water security by reducing dependence on imported water. No project financed pursuant to this section shall include an on-stream surface water storage facility or an off-stream surface water storage facility other than percolation ponds for groundwater recharge in urban areas. No river or stream channel modification project whose construction or operation causes any negative environmental impacts may be financed pursuant to this chapter unless those impacts are fully mitigated.

(a) The department shall administer 50 percent of the funds, and the board shall administer the remaining 50 percent of the funds, made available to the program described in Sections 79560 and 79561.
  (b) For projects proposed to be funded pursuant to Section 79560 that include any modification of a river or stream channel, the state agency making the grant, prior to the award of the grant, shall determine whether the environmental impacts resulting from that modification will be fully mitigated by considering all of the impacts of that modification and any mitigation, environmental enhancement, and environmental benefit resulting from the project, and determining whether, on balance, any environmental enhancement or benefit equals or exceeds any negative environmental impacts of the project. The costs of mitigation or enhancement may be included in the project costs eligible for funding pursuant to Section 79560.
  (c) This section shall become operative only if the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002 is approved by the voters at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election.

For the purposes of carrying out this chapter, the department and the board shall jointly develop project solicitation and evaluation guidelines. Before developing the solicitation and evaluation guidelines, the department and the board shall jointly conduct a public meeting to receive public comments on the scope, procedures, and content of the guidelines. Considering the public comments, the department and the board shall jointly develop solicitation and evaluation guidelines that are consistent with law and state programs and policies. The department and the board shall post the solicitation and evaluation guidelines on their respective Internet Web sites.

Money appropriated in Section 79560 shall be available for grants for water management projects that include one or more of the following elements:
  (a) Programs for water supply reliability, water conservation, and water use efficiency.
  (b) Storm water capture, storage, treatment, and management.
  (c) Removal of invasive non-native plants, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and the acquisition, protection, and restoration of open space and watershed lands.
  (d) Non-point source pollution reduction, management, and monitoring.
  (e) Groundwater recharge and management projects.
  (f) Contaminant and salt removal through reclamation, desalting, and other treatment technologies.
  (g) Water banking, exchange, reclamation, and improvement of water quality.
  (h) Planning and implementation of multipurpose flood control programs that protect property; and improve water quality, storm water capture and percolation; and protect or improve wildlife habitat.
  (i) Watershed management planning and implementation.
  (j) Demonstration projects to develop new drinking water treatment and distribution methods.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the funds appropriated to the department for the purposes of Sections 79560 and 79560.1, the department shall allocate the sum of not less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) to competitive grants for groundwater management and recharge projects. The department shall not allocate funds pursuant to this section unless it determines that the allocation is consistent with this division, as approved by the voters at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election.
  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that these funds be used to enhance water supply in rapidly growing areas of this state with limited access to imported water supplies.
  (c) Not more than 50 percent of the grants pursuant to this section shall be for projects in northern California. For projects in southern California, the department shall give preference to projects outside the service area of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that are infill projects within one mile of established residential and commercial development.
  (d) As used in this section, the term "rapidly growing areas" means counties located in southern California where the county population increased by 2.4 percent or more between January 1, 2002, and January 1, 2003.

An amount, not to exceed 10 percent of the money available for appropriation in Section 79560, may be appropriated by the Legislature for facilities, equipment, and other expenses associated with the establishment of comprehensive statewide groundwater monitoring pursuant to Part 2.76 (commencing with Section 10780) of Division 6.

(a) For the purposes of carrying out Section 79560, the department shall award grants to eligible projects consistent with an adopted integrated regional water management plan.
  (b) For purposes of subdivision (a), the department shall establish standards for integrated regional water management plans. At a minimum, these plans shall address the major water related objectives and conflicts of the watersheds in the region covered by the plan, including water supply, groundwater management, ecosystem restoration, and water quality elements, and may include other elements consistent with this chapter.
  (c) The department may waive the requirement for consistency with an adopted integrated regional water management plan until January 1, 2007, if the applicant is engaged in the development of an integrated regional water management plan and indicates, within its grant application, how the project fits into achieving the integrated regional water management plan objectives.
  (d) The department may waive the matching fund requirement for disadvantaged communities.
  (e) For groundwater management and recharge projects and for projects with potential groundwater impacts, the board and the department shall give preference to eligible projects in areas subject to a groundwater management plan that meets the requirements of Section 10753.7, or that includes the development of a groundwater management plan as a project component.
  (f) The maximum award for any single grant pursuant to this section may not exceed fifty million dollars ($50,000,000).
  (g) The department shall require that eligible projects include a nonstate contribution.
  (h) For the purposes of implementing Section 79563, and to the extent funds are expended for the purposes of Section 30947 of the Public Resources Code, those funds shall comply with the requirements of that section.

At least 50 percent of the amount available for appropriation in Section 79560 shall be appropriated to the board. The board shall establish procedures for selecting among eligible projects specified in Section 79561 that use the procedures developed by the board for stakeholder-based accelerated selection and contracting pursuant to Section 79104.32.

(a) The board, to the extent that funds are appropriated pursuant to Section 79563 of the Water Code for purposes that are consistent with this section, shall fund the development of one or more integrated coastal watershed management plans.
  (b) The plans shall be designed to allow for the integration of projects funded by the State Coastal Conservancy pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 31220) of Division 21 of the Public Resources Code, and projects funded by the board pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 30915) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 30945) of Chapter 4, of Division 20.4 of the Public Resources Code, within one or more coastal regions.
  (c) The planning areas shall be selected by the board in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy and the Department of Fish and Game and shall include coastal watersheds that influence water quality in areas of special biological significance.
  (d) The board may only expend funds for the purposes of this section to the extent the board determines that the expenditures are consistent with the requirements of this chapter.

To be eligible for financing pursuant to Section 79563, a project shall meet both of the following criteria:
  (a) The project is consistent with an adopted integrated water management plan designed to improve regional water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, water quality improvement, storm water capture and management, flood management, recreation and access, wetlands enhancement and creation, and environmental and habitat protection and improvement.
  (b) The project includes matching funds or donated services from non-state sources.

(a) Of the funds made available by Section 79560, not less than 40 percent shall be available for eligible projects in northern California and not less than 40 percent be available for eligible projects in southern California, subject to a determination by the administering agency that each project meets all of the requirements of this chapter.
  (b) For the purposes of this section, "southern California" means the Counties of San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and Ventura.
  (c) For the purposes of this section, "northern California" means all California counties except those identified in subdivision (b).

Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the sum of one hundred forty million dollars ($140,000,000) is hereby continuously appropriated from the fund to the Wildlife Conservation Board, without regard to fiscal years, for expenditure by the board and for grants, for the acquisition from willing sellers of land and water resources, including the acquisition of conservation easements, to protect regional water quality, protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and to assist local public agencies in improving regional water supply reliability.