Bill Text: CA SB919 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Water resources: stream gages.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-08-16 - August 16 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB919 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB919-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 15, 2018

Amended  IN  Senate  February 26, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 919

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Introduced by Senator Dodd

January 22, 2018

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An act to add Section 144 to the Water Code, relating to water resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 919, as amended, Dodd. Water resources: stream gages.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the state board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law, the Open and Transparent Water Data Act, requires the Department of Water Resources, the board, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to coordinate and integrate existing water and ecological data from local, state, and federal agencies.

This bill would require the Department of Water Resources, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop a plan to deploy a network of stream gages that includes a determination of funding needs and opportunities for reactivating existing gages. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, interested stakeholders, and, to the extent they wish to consult, local agencies, to prioritize the deployment of stream gages based upon gaps in the existing system of gages and specified considerations. develop the plan to address significant gaps in information necessary for water management. The bill would require the department to give priority in the plan to placing or reactivating stream gages where lack of data contributes to conflicts in water management actions, as specified, and to consider specified criteria in developing the plan.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Fourteen percent of the state’s significant stream segments are well gaged.

(b) California’s current stream gage network is poorly funded and not well organized, and data on existing gages pertaining to funding, location, and operating condition is difficult to find.

(c) The stream gage network fails to report key variables such as flow, temperature, and drainage.

(d) For a stream gage to be effective in helping inform water management during climate extremes and highly variable flows, it should record quality data, report key variables such as flow and temperature, and make its data accessible to the public promptly.

(e) The largest individual sponsor of stream gages in California is the United States Geological Service Survey (USGS), which works largely in partnership with a variety of state and federal agencies that provide funding to support gages and at least 57 percent of USGS-funded gages are also funded by a local agency.

(f) The data about which specific agencies are already funding particular stream gages is available for only 20 percent of active gages in California, and to better understand the gage landscape in the state, it is critical to know which agencies are funding particular gages.

SEC. 2.

 Section 144 is added to the Water Code, to read:

144.

 (a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department shall develop a plan to deploy a network of stream gages that includes a determination of funding needs and opportunities for reactivating existing gages.

(b) The department, in consultation with the board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, interested stakeholders, and, to the extent they wish to consult, local agencies, shall prioritize the deployment of stream gages based upon gaps in the existing system of gages. Criteria for prioritization shall include all of the following: develop the plan to address significant gaps in information necessary for water management.

(1)Integrating with the existing gage network.

(2)Consistency with the California Water Action Plan.

(3)Evaluating conditions, including flow settlements, voluntary flow agreements, and ability to integrate multiple benefit water management strategies.

(4)Ability to provide data to help protect threatened and endangered fisheries and wildlife.

(5)Ability to provide data to help with drought, floods, and impacts from wildfires and other natural disasters.

(6)Ability to provide data to assist with groundwater management.

(7)Prioritizing watersheds with historical gage data.

(8)Prioritizing watersheds that are included in state wildlife action plans, integrated regional water management plans, or other multibenefit program categories, or areas with approved sustainable groundwater management plans.

(9)Prioritizing areas where local agencies may enter cost-share arrangements to facilitate ongoing integration and use of best practices in water management.

(c) The department shall give priority in the plan to placing or reactivating stream gages where lack of data contributes to conflicts in water management actions, including, but not limited to, actions related to the following:

(1) Water supply management.

(2) Flood management.

(3) Water quality management.

(4) Ecosystem management.

(d) Other criteria to be considered by the department in developing the plan include all of the following:

(1) Opportunities for local agencies to enter cost-share arrangements to install or maintain the stream gage.

(2) Ease of integrating the stream gage into the existing network.

(3) Availability of historic gage data for specific locations.