California Code
DIVISION 2 - WATER
PART 2 - APPROPRIATION OF WATER

CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions

ARTICLE 1 - Water Subject to Appropriation

Section 1200. - 1200. Whenever the terms stream, lake or other body of...

Section 1201. - 1201. All water flowing in any natural channel, excepting so...

Section 1202. - 1202. The following are hereby declared to constitute unappropriated water:...

Section 1203. - 1203. Any water the right to the use of which...

ARTICLE 1.3 - Declaration of Fully Appropriated Stream System

Section 1205. - 1205. (a) Following notice and hearing, the board may adopt...

Section 1206. - 1206. (a) From and after the date of adoption of...

Section 1207. - 1207. Notice of hearing pursuant to this article shall be...

ARTICLE 1.5 - Treated Waste Water

Section 1210. - 1210. The owner of a waste water treatment plant operated...

Section 1211. - 1211. (a) Prior to making any change in the point...

Section 1212. - 1212. The board shall not grant any permit or license...

ARTICLE 1.7 - Areas of Origin

Section 1215. - 1215. This article shall only apply to a water supplier...

Section 1215.5. - 1215.5. (a) For the purposes of this article, “protected area”,...

Section 1215.6. - 1215.6. For the purposes of this article, “water user or...

Section 1216. - 1216. A protected area shall not be deprived directly or...

Section 1217. - 1217. (a) In addition to the right to obtain a...

Section 1218. - 1218. Upon the request of an applicant for a permit...

Section 1219. - 1219. A water supplier exporting or intending to export water...

Section 1219.5. - 1219.5. The provisions of this article shall not require any...

Section 1220. - 1220. (a) No groundwater shall be pumped for export from...

Section 1221. - 1221. This article shall not be construed to authorize the...

Section 1222. - 1222. Nothing in this article shall be deemed to diminish...

ARTICLE 2 - Exclusive Method of Appropriation

Section 1225. - 1225. Except as provided in Article 2.5 (commencing with Section...

ARTICLE 2.5 - Stockponds

Section 1226. - 1226. The Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary...

Section 1226.1. - 1226.1. The owner of any dam or other water impoundment...

Section 1226.2. - 1226.2. (a) Any person who has a valid water right...

Section 1226.3. - 1226.3. Each claim of water right shall be accompanied by...

Section 1226.4. - 1226.4. The board may, after notice and hearing, revoke any...

ARTICLE 2.6 - Nonreserved Water Rights for Federal Uses

Section 1227. - 1227. The Legislature finds and declares that it is in...

Section 1227.1. - 1227.1. (a) To obtain the priority of right set forth...

Section 1227.2. - 1227.2. (a) Subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), any use...

Section 1227.3. - 1227.3. This article does not apply to uses involving the...

Section 1227.4. - 1227.4. The board may, after following procedures set forth in...

ARTICLE 2.7 - Registration of Appropriations for Small Domestic, Small Irrigation, and Livestock Stockpond Uses

Section 1228. - 1228. This article shall be known and may be cited...

Section 1228.1. - 1228.1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is...

Section 1228.2. - 1228.2. (a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), a person may...

Section 1228.3. - 1228.3. (a) Registration of water use pursuant to this article...

Section 1228.4. - 1228.4. (a) Any completed registration of water use gives to...

Section 1228.5. - 1228.5. (a) Registration of a small domestic, small irrigation, or...

Section 1228.6. - 1228.6. (a) The board shall establish, and may from time...

Section 1228.7. - 1228.7. (a) A registrant may change the point of diversion...

Section 1229. - 1229. (a) The board is not required to adopt general...

Section 1229.1. - 1229.1. (a) This article does not apply to those stream...

ARTICLE 3 - Appropriation from Interstate Streams

Section 1230. - 1230. If the waters of an interstate body of water...

Section 1231. - 1231. (a) A right of appropriation from a stream that...

ARTICLE 4 - Beneficial Use

Section 1240. - 1240. The appropriation must be for some useful or beneficial...

Section 1241. - 1241. If the person entitled to the use of water...

Section 1241.6. - 1241.6. If water appropriated for irrigation purposes is not used...

Section 1242. - 1242. The storing of water underground, including the diversion of...

Section 1242.5. - 1242.5. The board, subject to the provisions of Section 100...

Section 1243. - 1243. (a) The use of water for recreation and preservation...

Section 1243.5. - 1243.5. In determining the amount of water available for appropriation,...

Section 1244. - 1244. The sale, lease, exchange, or transfer of water or...

ARTICLE 5 - Liability Within a Watershed

Section 1245. - 1245. Every municipal corporation of this State, and every person,...

Section 1246. - 1246. For the purpose of ascertaining the amount of any...

Section 1247. - 1247. Nothing in this article shall confer the right to...

Section 1248. - 1248. This article shall be liberally construed. (Added by Stats....

CHAPTER 2 - Applications to Appropriate Water

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 1250. - 1250. The board shall consider and act upon all applications...

Section 1250.5. - 1250.5. The board shall consider and act upon all applications...

Section 1251. - 1251. The board shall make such investigations of the water...

Section 1252. - 1252. Any person may apply for and secure from the...

Section 1252.1. - 1252.1. An appropriation of water of any stream or other...

Section 1252.5. - 1252.5. All rights and privileges conferred by this part upon...

Section 1253. - 1253. The board shall allow the appropriation for beneficial purposes...

Section 1254. - 1254. In acting upon applications to appropriate water the board...

Section 1255. - 1255. The board shall reject an application when in its...

Section 1256. - 1256. In determining public interest under Sections 1253 and 1255,...

Section 1257. - 1257. In acting upon application to appropriate water, the board...

Section 1257.5. - 1257.5. The board, in acting on applications to appropriate water,...

Section 1258. - 1258. In acting upon applications to appropriate water, the board...

Section 1259. - 1259. In acting upon applications to appropriate water, the board...

Section 1259.2. - 1259.2. (a) The board shall annually prepare a written summary,...

Section 1259.4. - 1259.4. (a) (1) On or before January 1, 2008, the...

Section 1259.6. - 1259.6. (a) (1) The board shall develop and adopt regulations...

ARTICLE 2 - Contents of Applications

Section 1260. - 1260. An application for a permit to appropriate water shall...

Section 1261. - 1261. All applications shall be accompanied by as many copies...

Section 1262. - 1262. If for agricultural purposes the application shall give the...

Section 1263. - 1263. If for power purposes the application shall state the...

Section 1264. - 1264. If for municipal water supply the application shall state...

Section 1265. - 1265. If for mining purposes the application shall state the...

Section 1266. - 1266. If for storage in a reservoir the application shall...

ARTICLE 3 - Defective Applications

Section 1270. - 1270. A defective application made in a bona fide attempt...

Section 1271. - 1271. If, within the period provided, the applicant does not...

ARTICLE 4 - Supplemental Information

Section 1275. - 1275. After an application has been perfected, the board may...

Section 1276. - 1276. If, within the period provided, the applicant does not...

CHAPTER 3 - Notice of Application

ARTICLE 1 - Contents of Notice

Section 1300. - 1300. As soon as practicable after the receipt of an...

Section 1301. - 1301. The notice shall specify all of the following: (a)...

Section 1302. - 1302. If the application is for more than three cubic...

Section 1303. - 1303. If the application is for three cubic feet or...

Section 1304. - 1304. The notice shall contain appropriate general information as to...

ARTICLE 2 - Publication of Notice

Section 1310. - 1310. If the application is for more than three cubic...

Section 1311. - 1311. Upon receipt of notice of an application coming under...

Section 1312. - 1312. The notice shall be published at the expense of...

Section 1313. - 1313. In case there is no newspaper published within the...

Section 1315. - 1315. Proof of publication shall be filed by the applicant...

Section 1316. - 1316. Proof of publication shall be by copy of the...

Section 1317. - 1317. The board may cancel any application for failure of...

ARTICLE 3 - Posting and Mailing Notice

Section 1320. - 1320. Notice of an application for three cubic feet or...

Section 1321. - 1321. Upon the date of issuance of notice of an...

Section 1322. - 1322. The applicant shall post the notice within 20 days...

Section 1323. - 1323. Proof of posting shall be by affidavit of the...

Section 1324. - 1324. The board may cancel any application for failure of...

CHAPTER 4 - Protest of Application

Section 1330. - 1330. Any person interested may, within the time allowed in...

Section 1331. - 1331. The protest shall meet all of the following requirements:...

Section 1332. - 1332. The board may request from the protestant additional information...

Section 1333. - 1333. The protestant and the applicant shall make a good...

Section 1334. - 1334. The board may request from the protestant or the...

Section 1335. - 1335. (a) The board may cancel a protest or application...

CHAPTER 5 - Proceedings on Application

ARTICLE 1 - Notice of Hearing

Section 1340. - 1340. Notice of hearing on a protested application shall be...

Section 1341. - 1341. The notice of hearing on a protested application shall...

Section 1342. - 1342. If a hearing is held on an unprotested application,...

ARTICLE 1.5 - Minor Protested Applications Procedure

Section 1345. - 1345. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the Division...

Section 1346. - 1346. The Division of Water Rights may request the parties...

Section 1347. - 1347. Based upon the field investigation and any other information...

Section 1348. - 1348. For purposes of this article, a minor application shall...

ARTICLE 2 - Action on Application

Section 1350. - 1350. The board may grant, or refuse to grant a...

Section 1351. - 1351. No hearing is necessary in order to issue a...

Section 1352. - 1352. Upon failure of any party in interest to appear...

Section 1353. - 1353. In the conduct of hearings technical rules of evidence...

CHAPTER 6 - Permits

ARTICLE 1 - Prerequisites to Issuance of Permit

Section 1375. - 1375. As prerequisite to the issuance of a permit to...

ARTICLE 2 - Issuance of Permit

Section 1380. - 1380. Upon the approval of an application the board shall...

Section 1381. - 1381. The issuance of a permit gives the right to...

Section 1382. - 1382. All permits shall be under the terms and conditions...

ARTICLE 3 - Permit Terms and Conditions

Section 1390. - 1390. A permit shall be effective for such time as...

Section 1391. - 1391. Every permit shall include the enumeration of conditions therein...

Section 1392. - 1392. Every permittee, if he accepts a permit, does so...

Section 1393. - 1393. The board shall include as a condition in any...

Section 1394. - 1394. (a) The board may reserve jurisdiction, in whole or...

ARTICLE 4 - Application to Beneficial Use and Construction of Works

Section 1395. - 1395. Actual construction work upon any project shall begin within...

Section 1396. - 1396. The construction of the work thereafter and the utilization...

Section 1397. - 1397. The work shall be completed and the water applied...

Section 1398. - 1398. (a) The period specified in the permit for beginning...

ARTICLE 5 - Revocation of Permit

Section 1410. - 1410. (a) There shall be cause for revocation of a...

Section 1410.1. - 1410.1. The notice of proposed revocation of the permit pursuant...

Section 1410.2. - 1410.2. In any case when a permit is revoked without...

CHAPTER 6.5 - Temporary Permits

ARTICLE 1 - Temporary Urgency Permits

Section 1425. - 1425. (a) Any person, whether or not an applicant, permittee,...

Section 1426. - 1426. The application for a temporary permit shall be completed...

Section 1427. - 1427. Before making the findings required by Section 1425, the...

Section 1428. - 1428. The board may issue a temporary permit in advance...

Section 1429. - 1429. The board shall supervise diversion and use of water...

Section 1430. - 1430. A temporary permit issued under this article shall not...

Section 1431. - 1431. A temporary permit issued under this article may be...

ARTICLE 2 - Temporary Permits for Diversion to Underground Storage

Section 1433. - 1433. (a) Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions...

Section 1433.1. - 1433.1. (a) A groundwater sustainability agency or a local agency,...

Section 1433.2. - 1433.2. (a) The application for a temporary permit shall be...

Section 1433.3. - 1433.3. (a) As soon as practicable after the receipt of...

Section 1433.4. - 1433.4. The board shall supervise diversion and use of water...

Section 1433.5. - 1433.5. A permit issued under this article shall not result...

Section 1433.6. - 1433.6. The board may renew a permit issued under this...

CHAPTER 6.6 - Temporary Changes

ARTICLE 1 - Temporary Urgency Changes

Section 1435. - 1435. (a) Any permittee or licensee who has an urgent...

Section 1436. - 1436. The petition for a temporary change order shall be...

Section 1437. - 1437. Before making the findings required by Section 1435, the...

Section 1438. - 1438. (a) The board may issue a temporary change order...

Section 1439. - 1439. The board shall supervise diversion and use of water...

Section 1440. - 1440. A temporary change order issued under this article shall...

Section 1441. - 1441. A temporary change order issued under this article may...

Section 1442. - 1442. This article shall not apply to any permittee or...

ARTICLE 2 - Temporary Changes for Diversion to Underground Storage

Section 1443. - 1443. (a) Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions...

Section 1443.1. - 1443.1. (a) A groundwater sustainability agency or a local agency...

Section 1443.2. - 1443.2. (a) The petition for a temporary change order shall...

Section 1443.3. - 1443.3. (a) As soon as practicable after the receipt of...

Section 1443.4. - 1443.4. The board shall supervise diversion and use of water...

Section 1443.5. - 1443.5. A change order issued under this article shall not...

Section 1443.6. - 1443.6. The board may renew a change order issued under...

Section 1443.7. - 1443.7. This article does not apply to any permittee or...

CHAPTER 7 - Priorities

ARTICLE 1 - Priority of Application

Section 1450. - 1450. Any application properly made gives to the applicant a...

ARTICLE 2 - Effect of Issuance of Permit

Section 1455. - 1455. The issuance of a permit continues in effect the...

ARTICLE 3 - Preferred Priorities of Municipalities

Section 1460. - 1460. The application for a permit by a municipality for...

Section 1461. - 1461. The application for, or the granting of, a permit...

Section 1462. - 1462. Where permission to appropriate is granted to any municipality...

Section 1463. - 1463. When the municipality desires to use the additional water...

Section 1464. - 1464. In lieu of the granting of such temporary permits...

ARTICLE 4 - Priority of Reservoir Systems Constituting Single Unit

Section 1475. - 1475. In any case where a reservoir has been or...

ARTICLE 5 - Applications in Aid of State Water Plan

Section 1480. - 1480. An application by the Department of Water Resources, or...

ARTICLE 6 - Applications by Governmental Agencies Discharging Disposal Water

Section 1485. - 1485. Any municipality, governmental agency, or political subdivision operating waste...

Section 1486. - 1486. (a) The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, and any...

ARTICLE 7 - Priority of Applications for Hydroelectric Power

Section 1490. - 1490. Applications or petitions for retrofit hydroelectric plants at existing...

Section 1491. - 1491. Applications for hydroelectric powerplants with a generating capacity not...

CHAPTER 8 - Water Right Fees

ARTICLE 1 - Fee Schedules

Section 1525. - 1525. (a) Each person or entity who holds a permit...

Section 1528. - 1528. Each person or entity who files a proof of...

Section 1529. - 1529. Each person or entity who files a notice pursuant...

Section 1529.5. - 1529.5. (a) The board shall adopt a schedule of fees...

Section 1530. - 1530. (a) The board shall adopt, by emergency regulation, the...

ARTICLE 2 - Collection and Enforcement

Section 1535. - 1535. (a) Any fee subject to this chapter that is...

Section 1536. - 1536. All annual fees, other than the initial filing fee...

Section 1537. - 1537. (a) The State Board of Equalization shall collect any...

Section 1538. - 1538. In any proceeding pursuant to Section 1052 in which...

Section 1539. - 1539. If a permit or license holder fails to pay...

Section 1540. - 1540. If the board determines that the person or entity...

Section 1541. - 1541. This article applies to any fee established or required...

ARTICLE 3 - Water Rights Fund

Section 1550. - 1550. There is in the State Treasury a Water Rights...

Section 1551. - 1551. All of the following shall be deposited in the...

Section 1552. - 1552. Except as provided in subdivision (e) of Section 1058.5,...

ARTICLE 4 - Sovereign Immunity

Section 1560. - 1560. (a) The fees and expenses established under this chapter...

CHAPTER 9 - Licenses

ARTICLE 1 - Report of Completion

Section 1600. - 1600. Immediately upon completion of the construction of works and...

ARTICLE 2 - Examination and Inspection

Section 1605. - 1605. The board shall as soon as practicable after receiving...

ARTICLE 3 - Issuance or Refusal of License

Section 1610. - 1610. If the determination of the board as to completion...

Section 1610.5. - 1610.5. Before issuing a license for an amount of water...

Section 1611. - 1611. If the board determines that the construction and condition...

ARTICLE 5 - Contents and Conditions of License

Section 1625. - 1625. Each license shall be in such form and contain...

Section 1626. - 1626. All licenses shall be under the terms and conditions...

Section 1627. - 1627. A license shall be effective for such time as...

Section 1628. - 1628. Every license shall include the enumeration of conditions therein...

Section 1629. - 1629. Every licensee, if he accepts a license, does so...

Section 1630. - 1630. At any time after the expiration of twenty years...

Section 1631. - 1631. In the event that the State, or any city,...

ARTICLE 6 - Filing of Licenses and Orders with County Recorder

Section 1650. - 1650. A true copy of each license issued or of...

Section 1651. - 1651. Whenever an order revoking a license in whole or...

ARTICLE 7 - Revocation of Licenses

Section 1675. - 1675. (a) If, at any time after a license is...

Section 1675.1. - 1675.1. The notice of proposed revocation of the license pursuant...

Section 1675.2. - 1675.2. In any case when a license is revoked without...

CHAPTER 10 - Change to an Application, Permit, or License

Section 1700. - 1700. Water appropriated under the Water Commission Act or this...

Section 1700.4. - 1700.4. (a) After notice of an application is given, the...

Section 1700.6. - 1700.6. (a) The board may make a minor change to...

Section 1701. - 1701. At any time after notice of an application is...

Section 1701.1. - 1701.1. A petition for change filed after notice of an...

Section 1701.2. - 1701.2. A petition for change in a permit or license...

Section 1701.3. - 1701.3. (a) After a petition is filed, the board may...

Section 1701.4. - 1701.4. If, within the period provided, the petitioner does not...

Section 1702. - 1702. Before permission to make such a change is granted...

Section 1703. - 1703. After filing a petition for permission to make a...

Section 1703.1. - 1703.1. Any interested person, within the time allowed in the...

Section 1703.2. - 1703.2. The protest shall meet all of the following requirements:...

Section 1703.3. - 1703.3. The board may request from the protestant additional information...

Section 1703.4. - 1703.4. The protestant and the petitioner shall make a good...

Section 1703.5. - 1703.5. The board may request from the protestant or the...

Section 1703.6. - 1703.6. (a) The board may cancel a protest or petition...

Section 1704. - 1704. (a) The board, after a hearing, may approve with...

Section 1704.1. - 1704.1. The Division of Water Rights shall conduct a field...

Section 1704.2. - 1704.2. The Division of Water Rights may request the parties...

Section 1704.3. - 1704.3. Based upon the field investigation and any other information...

Section 1704.4. - 1704.4. For purposes of this chapter, a minor petition for...

Section 1705. - 1705. After the hearing, the board shall grant or refuse,...

Section 1706. - 1706. The person entitled to the use of water by...

Section 1707. - 1707. (a) (1) Any person entitled to the use of...

CHAPTER 10.5 - Change of Point of Diversion, Place of Use, or Purpose of Use, Involving the Transfer of Water

ARTICLE 1 - Temporary Changes

Section 1725. - 1725. (a) A permittee or licensee may temporarily change the...

Section 1725.5. - 1725.5. For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:...

Section 1726. - 1726. (a) (1) A permittee or licensee who proposes a...

Section 1727. - 1727. (a) This section applies to a petition for temporary...

Section 1728. - 1728. (a) The board shall review a petition for a...

Section 1729. - 1729. A proposed temporary change under this article shall be...

Section 1731. - 1731. Following the expiration of the temporary change period, all...

Section 1732. - 1732. The petitioner shall not initiate or increase the use...

ARTICLE 2 - Long-Term Transfers

Section 1735. - 1735. The board may consider a petition for a long-term...

Section 1736. - 1736. The board, after providing notice and opportunity for a...

Section 1737. - 1737. Following the expiration of the long-term transfer period, all...

ARTICLE 3 - Transfer of Decreed Rights

Section 1740. - 1740. Any water right determined under a court decree issued...

ARTICLE 4 - Water Supplier Contracts

Section 1745. - 1745. As used in this article, the following terms have...

Section 1745.02. - 1745.02. A water supplier may, for a consideration to be...

Section 1745.03. - 1745.03. Services performed under a contract entered into pursuant to...

Section 1745.04. - 1745.04. A water supplier may contract with a state drought...

Section 1745.05. - 1745.05. (a) Water stored by the water supplier and water...

Section 1745.06. - 1745.06. A water supplier may transfer water pursuant to Section...

Section 1745.07. - 1745.07. No transfer of water pursuant to this article or...

Section 1745.08. - 1745.08. This article is in addition to, and not a...

Section 1745.09. - 1745.09. Nothing in this article does any of the following:...

Section 1745.10. - 1745.10. A water user that transfers surface water pursuant to...

Section 1745.11. - 1745.11. Nothing in this article prohibits the transfer of previously...

CHAPTER 11 - Joint Use and Development

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 1750. - 1750. As used in this chapter “works” includes dams, tunnels,...

Section 1751. - 1751. As used in this chapter “power” includes electricity, electrical...

Section 1752. - 1752. The board shall determine the pro rata and other...

ARTICLE 2 - Joint Occupancy and Use

Section 1775. - 1775. If at any time it appears to the board,...

Section 1776. - 1776. The board shall take into consideration the reasonable cost...

Section 1777. - 1777. The applicant shall be required to pay to the...

Section 1778. - 1778. If the water is used or to be used...

Section 1779. - 1779. If the water is used or to be used...

Section 1780. - 1780. If a portion of the water is used or...

Section 1781. - 1781. If any of the water is used or to...

Section 1782. - 1782. The applicant shall also pay a proper pro rata...

ARTICLE 3 - Enlargement of Existing Works of Another

Section 1800. - 1800. If it appears to the board that the full...

Section 1801. - 1801. The repairing, improving, adding to, supplementing, or enlarging of...

ARTICLE 4 - Joint Use of Capacity in Water Conveyance Facilities

Section 1810. - 1810. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the state,...

Section 1811. - 1811. As used in this article, the following terms shall...

Section 1812. - 1812. The state, regional, or local public agency owning the...

Section 1813. - 1813. In making the determinations required by this article, the...

Section 1814. - 1814. This article shall apply to only 70 percent of...

Section 1815. - 1815. (a) Notwithstanding Section 1810, a transferor of water shall...

CHAPTER 12 - Enforcement of Water Rights

ARTICLE 1 - Policy

Section 1825. - 1825. It is the intent of the Legislature that the...

ARTICLE 2 - Cease and Desist Orders

Section 1831. - 1831. (a) When the board determines that any person is...

Section 1832. - 1832. Cease and desist orders of the board shall be...

Section 1834. - 1834. (a) In the event that a violation of a...

Section 1835. - 1835. As used in this chapter, “person” includes any city,...

Section 1836. - 1836. Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the board from...

ARTICLE 3 - Monitoring and Reporting

Section 1840. - 1840. (a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a...

Section 1841. - 1841. (a) The board may adopt regulations requiring measurement and...

Section 1841.5. - 1841.5. (a) For the purposes of a device installed pursuant...

ARTICLE 4 - Enforcement

Section 1845. - 1845. (a) Upon the failure of any person to comply...

Section 1846. - 1846. (a) A person or entity may be liable for...

Section 1846.5. - 1846.5. (a) An urban retail water supplier who commits any...

Section 1847. - 1847. (a) A person or entity may be liable for...

Section 1848. - 1848. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c),...

ARTICLE 5 - Private Litigation

Section 1850. - 1850. Any factual or legal determinations made pursuant to a...

Section 1851. - 1851. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit...