Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, div. 6, ch. 2, art. 4, app 2B
Public Law 97-293
Title II, Reclamation Reform Act of 1982
Section 226: Public Participation
SEC. 226: Public Participation
Section 9 of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
"(f) No less than sixty days before entering into or amending any repayment contract or any contract for the delivery of irrigation water (except any contract for the delivery of surplus or interim irrigation water whose duration is for one year or less) the Secretary shall --
"(1) publish notice of the proposed contract or amendment in newspapers of general circulation in the affected area and shall make reasonable efforts to otherwise notify interested parties which may be affected by such contract or amendment, together with information indicating to whom comments or inquiries concerning the proposed actions can be addressed; and
"(2) provide an opportunity for submission of written data, views and arguments, and shall consider all substantive comments so received."
Title 34, Public Law 102-575
Central Valley Project Improvement Act
Section 3405.
Water Transfers, Improved Water Management and Conservation
The Law
Section 3405. Water Transfers, Improved Water Management & Conservation
(a) Water Transfers. In order to assist California urban areas, agricultural water users, and others in meeting their future water needs, subject to the conditions and requirements of this subsection, all individuals or districts who receive Central Valley Project water under water service or repayment contracts, water rights settlement contracts or exchange contracts entered into prior to or after the date of enactment of this title are authorized to transfer all or a portion of the water subject to such contract to any other California water user or water agency, State or Federal agency, Indian Tribe, or private non-profit organization for project purposes or any purpose recognized as beneficial under applicable State law. Except as provided herein, the terms of such transfers shall be set by mutual agreement between the transferee and the transferor.
(1) Conditions for Transfers. All transfers to Central Valley Project water authorized by this subsection shall be subject to review and approval by the Secretary under the conditions specified in this subsection. Transfers involving more than 20 percent of the Central Valley Project water subject to long-term contract within any contracting district or agency shall also be subject to review and approval by such district or agency under the conditions specified in this subsection:
(A) No transfer to combination of transfers authorized by this subsection shall exceed, in any year, the average annual quantity of water under contract actually delivered to the contracting district or agency during the last three years of normal water delivery prior to the date of enactment of this title.
(B) All water under the contract which is transferred under authority of this subsection to any district or agency which is not a Central Valley Project contractor at the time of enactment of this title shall, if used for irrigation purposes, be repaid at the greater of the full-cost or cost of service rates, or, if the water is used for municipal and industrial purposes, at the greater of the cost of service or municipal and industrial rates.
(C) No transfers authorized by this subsection shall be approved unless the transfer is between a willing buyer and a willing seller under such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon.
(D) No transfer authorized by this subsection shall be approved unless the transfer is consistent with State law, including but not limited to provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.
(E) All transfers authorized by this subsection shall be deemed a beneficial use of water by the transferor for the purposes of section 8 of the Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 390, 43 U.S.C. 372.
(F) All transfers entered into pursuant to this subsection for uses outside the Central Valley Project service area shall be subject to a right of first refusal on the same terms and conditions by entities within the Central Valley Project service area. The right of first refusal must be exercised within ninety days from the date that notice is provided of the proposed transfer. Should an entity exercise the right of first refusal, it must compensate the transferee who had negotiated the agreement upon which the right of first refusal is being exercised for that entity's total costs associated with the development and negotiation of the transfer.
(G) No transfer authorized by this subsection shall he considered by the Secretary as conferring supplemental or additional benefits on Central Valley Project water contractors as provided in section 203 of Public Law 97-293(43 U.S.C. 390(cc)).
(H) The Secretary shall not approve a transfer authorized by this subsection unless the Secretary has determined, consistent with paragraph 3405(a)(2) of this title, that the transfer will not violate the provisions of this title or other Federal law and will have no significant adverse effect on the Secretary's ability to deliver water pursuant to the Secretary's Central Valley Project contractual obligations or fish and wildlife obligations under this title because of limitations in conveyance or pumping capacity.
(I) The water subject to any transfer undertaken pursuant to this subsection shall be limited to water that would have been consumptively used or irretrievably lost to beneficial use during the year or years of the transfer.
(J) The Secretary shall not approve a transfer authorized by this subsection unless the Secretary determines, consistent with paragraph 3405(a)(2) of this title, that such transfer will have no significant long-term adverse impact on groundwater conditions in the transferor's service area.
(K) The Secretary shall not approve a transfer unless the Secretary determines, consistent with paragraph 3405(a)(2) of this title, that such transfer will have no unreasonable impact on the water supply, operations, or financial conditions of the transferor's contracting district or agency or its water users.
(L) The Secretary shall not approve a transfer if the Secretary determines, consistent with paragraph 3405(a)(2) of this title, that such transfer would result in a significant reduction in the quantity or decrease in the quality of water supplies currently used for fish and wildlife purposes, unless the Secretary determines pursuant to finding setting forth the basis for such determination that such adverse effects would be more than offset by the benefits of the proposed transfer. In the event of such a determination, the Secretary shall develop and implement alternative measures and mitigation activities as integral and concurrent elements of any such transfer to provide fish and wildlife benefits substantially equivalent to those lost as a consequence of such transfer.
(M) Transfers between Central Valley Project contractors within countries, watersheds, or other areas of origin, as those terms are utilized under California law, shall be deemed to meet the conditions set forth in subparagraphs (A) and (I) of this paragraph.
(2) Review and Approval of Transfers. All transfers subject to review and approval under this subsection shall be reviewed and approved in a manner consistent with the following:
(A) Decisions on water transfers subject to review by a contracting district or agency or by the Secretary shall be rendered within ninety days of receiving a written transfer proposal from the transferee or transferor. Such written proposal should provide all information reasonably necessary to determine whether the transfer complies with the terms and conditions of this subsection.
(B) All transfers subject to review by a contracting district or agency shall be reviewed in a public process similar to that provided for in section 226 of Pub. L. 97-293.
(C) The contracting district or agency or the Secretary shall approve all transfers subject to review and approval by such entity if such transfers are consistent with the terms and conditions of this subsection. To disapprove a transfer, the contracting district or agency or the Secretary shall inform the transferee and transferor, in writing, why the transfer does not comply with the terms and conditions of this subsection and what alternatives, if any, could be included so that the transfer would reasonably comply with the requirements of this subsection.
(D) If the contracting district or agency or the Secretary fails to approve or disapprove a proposed transfer within ninety days of receiving a complete written proposal from the transferee or transferor, then the transfer shall be deemed approved.
(3) Transfers executed after September 30, 1999 shall only be governed by the provisions of subparagraphs 3405(a)(1)(A) -(C), (E), (G), (H), (I), (L), and (M) of this title, and by State law.
(f) Increased Revenues. All revenues received by the Secretary as a result of the increased repayment rates applicable to water transferred from irrigation use to municipal and industrial use under subsection 3405(a) of this section, and all increased revenues received by the Secretary as a result of the increased water prices established under subsection 3405(d) of this section, shall be covered to the Restoration Fund.
Section 3407(d)(2)(a). Restoration Fund
(d) Adjustment and Assessment of Mitigation and Restoration Payments.
(1) In assessing the annual payments to carry out subsection (c) of this section, the Secretary shall, prior to each fiscal year, estimate the amount that could be collected in each fiscal year pursuant to subparagraphs 2(A) and (B) of this subsection. The Secretary shall decrease all such payments on a proportionate basis from amounts contained in the estimate so that an aggregate amount is collected pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(2) The Secretary shall assess and collect the following mitigation and restoration payments, to be covered to the Restoration Fund, subject to the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection:
(A) The Secretary shall require Central Valley Project water and power contractors to make such additional annual payments as are necessary to yield, together with all other receipts, the amount required under paragraph (c)(2) of this subsection; Provided, That such additional payments shall not exceed $30,000,000 (October 1992 price levels) on a three-year rolling average basis; Provided further, That such additional annual payments shall be allocated so as not to exceed $6.00 per acre-foot (October 1992 price levels) for agricultural water sold and delivered by the Central Valley Project, and $12.00 per acre-foot (October 1992 price levels) for municipal and industrial water sold and delivered by the Central Valley Project;
Provided further, that the charge imposed on agricultural water shall be reduced, if necessary, to an amount within the probable ability of the water users to pay as determined and adjusted by the Secretary no less than every five years, taking into account the benefits resulting from implementation of this title; Provided further, That the Secretary shall impose an additional annual charge of $25.00 per acre-foot (October 1992 price levels) for Central Valley Project water sold or transferred to any State or local agency or other entity which has not previously been a Central Valley Project customer and which contracts with the Secretary or any other individual or district receiving Central Valley Project water to purchase or otherwise transfer any such water for its own use for municipal and industrial purposes, to be deposited in the Restoration Fund; And Provided further, That upon the completion of the fish, wildlife, and habitat mitigation and restoration actions mandated under section 3406 of this title, the Secretary shall reduce the sums described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section to $35,000,000 per year (October 1992 price levels) and shall reduce the annual mitigation and restoration payment ceiling established under this subsection to $15,000,000 (October 1992 price levels) on a three-year rolling average basis. The amount of the mitigation and restoration payment made by Central Valley Project water and power users, taking into account all funds collected under this title, shall, to the greatest degree practicable, be assessed in the same proportion, measured over a ten-year rolling average, as water and power users' respective allocations for repayment of the Central Valley Project.
For additional information, please contact CVPIA Program Manager (916) 978-5190 February 4, 2011
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, div. 6, ch. 2, art. 4, app 2B