Section 8307 Of Chapter 1. General Powers Of Department Of Water Resources From California Water Code >> Division 5. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1.
8307
. (a) A city or county may be required to contribute its fair
and reasonable share of the property damage caused by a flood to the
extent that the city or county has increased the state's exposure to
liability for property damage by unreasonably approving new
development in a previously undeveloped area that is protected by a
state flood control project. However, a city or county shall not be
required to contribute if, after the amendments required by Sections
65302.9 and 65860.1 of the Government Code have become effective, the
city or county complies with Sections 65865.5, 65962, and 66474.5 of
the Government Code as applicable with respect to that development.
This section shall not be construed to extend or toll the statute of
limitations for challenging the approval of any new development.
(b) A city or county is not required to contribute unless an
action has been filed against the state asserting liability for
property damage caused by a flood and the provisions of subdivision
(a) providing for contribution have been satisfied. A city or county
is not required to contribute if the state settles the claims against
it without providing the city or county with an opportunity to
participate in settlement negotiations.
(c) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "State flood control project" means any flood control works
within the Sacramento River Flood Control Project described in
Section 8350, and of flood control projects in the Sacramento River
and San Joaquin River watersheds authorized pursuant to Article 2
(commencing with Section 12648) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 6.
(2) "Undeveloped area" means an area devoted to "agricultural use,"
as defined in Section 51201 of the Government Code, or "open space
land," as defined in Section 65560 of the Government Code, that, as
of January 1, 2008, is not already designated for development in a
general or specific plan or by a local zoning ordinance.
(3) "Unreasonably approving" means approving a new development
project without appropriately considering significant risks of
flooding made known to the approving agency as of the time of
approval and without taking reasonable and feasible action to
mitigate the potential property damage to the new development
resulting from a flood.
(4) "Feasible" means capable of being accomplished in a successful
manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account
economic, environmental, legal, social, and technological factors.
(d) This section shall not apply to any land or projects for which
an application for development has been submitted to the city or
county prior to January 1, 2008.