Chapter 4. Definitions of California Water Code >> Division 35. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set
forth in this chapter govern the construction of this division.
"Acquisition" means the acquisition of a fee interest or any
other interest, including easements, leases, and development rights.
"Adaptive management" means a framework and flexible
decisionmaking process for ongoing knowledge acquisition, monitoring,
and evaluation leading to continuous improvement in management
planning and implementation of a project to achieve specified
objectives.
"Bay Delta Conservation Plan" or "BDCP" means a multispecies
conservation plan.
"Coequal goals" means the two goals of providing a more
reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and
enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in
a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural,
recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta
as an evolving place.
"Commission" means the Delta Protection Commission
established in Division 19.5 (commencing with Section 29700) of the
Public Resources Code.
"Conservancy" means the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Conservancy established in Section 32320 of the Public Resources
Code.
"Council" means the Delta Stewardship Council established in
Section 85200.
(a) "Covered action" means a plan, program, or project as
defined pursuant to Section 21065 of the Public Resources Code that
meets all of the following conditions:
(1) Will occur, in whole or in part, within the boundaries of the
Delta or Suisun Marsh.
(2) Will be carried out, approved, or funded by the state or a
local public agency.
(3) Is covered by one or more provisions of the Delta Plan.
(4) Will have a significant impact on achievement of one or both
of the coequal goals or the implementation of government-sponsored
flood control programs to reduce risks to people, property, and state
interests in the Delta.
(b) "Covered action" does not include any of the following:
(1) A regulatory action of a state agency.
(2) Routine maintenance and operation of the State Water Project
or the federal Central Valley Project.
(3) Regional transportation plans prepared pursuant to Section
65080 of the Government Code.
(4) A plan, program, project, or activity within the secondary
zone of the Delta that the applicable metropolitan planning
organization pursuant to Section 65080 of the Government Code has
determined is consistent with either a sustainable communities
strategy or an alternative planning strategy that the State Air
Resources Board has determined would, if implemented, achieve the
greenhouse gas emission reduction targets established by that board
pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of
Section 65080 of the Government Code. For purposes of this paragraph,
"consistent with" means consistent with the use designation,
density, building intensity, transportation plan, and applicable
policies specified for the area in the sustainable communities
strategy or the alternative planning strategy, as applicable, and any
infrastructure necessary to support the plan, program, project, or
activity.
(5) Routine maintenance and operation of a facility located, in
whole or in part, in the Delta, that is owned or operated by a local
public agency.
(6) A plan, program, project, or activity that occurs, in whole or
in part, in the Delta, if both of the following conditions are met:
(A) The plan, program, project, or activity is undertaken by a
local public agency that is located, in whole or in part, in the
Delta.
(B) Either a notice of determination is filed, pursuant to Section
21152 of the Public Resources Code, for the plan, program, project,
or activity by, or the plan, program, project, or activity is fully
permitted by, September 30, 2009.
(7) (A) A project within the secondary zone, as defined pursuant
to Section 29731 of the Public Resources Code as of January 1, 2009,
for which a notice of approval or determination pursuant to Section
21152 of the Public Resources Code has been filed before the date on
which the Delta Plan becomes effective.
(B) A project for which a notice of approval or determination is
filed on or after the date on which the final Bay Delta Conservation
Plan becomes effective, and before the date on which the Delta Plan
becomes effective, is not a covered action but shall be consistent
with the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
(C) Subparagraphs (A) and (B) do not apply to either of the
following:
(i) A project that is within a Restoration Opportunity Area as
shown in Figure 3.1 of Chapter 3: Draft Conservation Strategy of the
Bay Delta Conservation Plan, August 3, 2009, or as shown in a final
Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
(ii) A project that is within the alignment of a conveyance
facility as shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, of the Final Draft
Initial Assessment of Dual Delta Water Conveyance Report, April 23,
2008, and in future revisions of this document by the department.
(8) Leases approved by a special district if all of the following
apply:
(A) The uses proposed by the lease are authorized by the
applicable general plan and zoning ordinances of the city where the
special district is located.
(B) The uses proposed by the lease are approved by the city where
the special district is located and the city complies with Chapter 3
(commencing with Section 85225) of Part 3, if applicable, prior to
approval of the lease by the special district.
(C) The special district complies with the California
Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section
21000) of the Public Resources Code) prior to approving the lease.
(9) (A) Routine dredging activities that are necessary for
maintenance of facilities operated by a special district.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, "routine dredging activities"
are limited to the following:
(i) Dredging to maintain the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel at a
depth of 40 feet in the sediment trap at the confluence of the San
Joaquin River, between river mile 39.3 to river mile 40.2, and to
maintain the remaining Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel at a depth of
35 feet plus two feet of overdredge from river mile 35 to river mile
43.
(ii) Dredging designed to maintain the Sacramento Deep Water Ship
Channel at a depth of 30 feet plus two feet of overdredge from river
mile 0.0 to river mile 30, and at a depth of 35 feet from river mile
35 to river mile 43.
(C) Except as provided by this subdivision, it is the intent of
the Legislature that this exemption shall not be interpreted or
treated as changing or modifying current substantive and procedural
regulations applicable to the decision to approve dredging
operations.
(c) For purposes of this section, "special district" means the
Port of Stockton or the Port of West Sacramento.
(d) This section shall not be interpreted to authorize the
abrogation of a vested right whether created by statute or by common
law.
"Delta" means the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as defined in
Section 12220 and the Suisun Marsh, as defined in Section 29101 of
the Public Resources Code.
"Delta Plan" means the comprehensive, long-term management
plan for the Delta as adopted by the council in accordance with this
division.
"Delta watershed" means the Sacramento River Hydrologic
Region and the San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region as described in
the department's Bulletin No. 160-05.
"Public water agency" means a public entity, as defined in
Section 514, that provides water service, as defined in Section 515.
"Restoration" means the application of ecological principles
to restore a degraded or fragmented ecosystem and return it to a
condition in which its biological and structural components achieve a
close approximation of its natural potential, taking into
consideration the physical changes that have occurred in the past and
the future impact of climate change and sea level rise.
"Strategic Plan" means both the "Delta Vision Strategic Plan"
issued by the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force on October 17,
2008, and the "Delta Vision Implementation Report" adopted by the
Delta Vision Committee and dated December 31, 2008.