Signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that establishes a program to systematically monitor and report groundwater elevations in all groundwater basins and subbasins beginning January 1, 2012.

Highlights:

-Authorizes the following entities to participate in monitoring and reporting groundwater elevations (Sec. 1):

-Watermaster or water management engineer appointed by a court; -Groundwater management agency; -Water replenishment district; -Local agencies and counties managing all or part of a groundwater basin or subbasin; -Counties that are not managing all or part of a groundwater basin or subbasin; and -Voluntary cooperative groundwater monitoring association.

-Requires the Department of Water Resources to perform the groundwater monitoring functions for portions of the basin or subbasin for which no monitoring entity has agreed to perform the functions (Sec. 1). -Prohibits the Department of Water Resources or any entity that is participating in the monitoring of groundwater from entering private property without consent of the property owner or requiring a private property owner to submit groundwater monitoring information (Sec. 1). -Requires the Department of Water Resources to conduct an investigation of the state's groundwater basins and report its findings to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2012, and each year thereafter that ends in a "5" or "0" (Sec. 3). -Authorizes the appropriation of unallocated bond revenue to fund the groundwater elevation monitoring program (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the provisions of this Act are contingent upon the passage of SBx7 1 and SBx7 7 (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a program to systematically monitor and report groundwater elevations in all groundwater basins and subbasins beginning January 1, 2012.

Highlights:

-Authorizes the following entities to participate in monitoring and reporting groundwater elevations (Sec. 1):

-Watermaster or water management engineer appointed by a court; -Groundwater management agency; -Water replenishment district; -Local agencies and counties managing all or part of a groundwater basin or subbasin; -Counties that are not managing all or part of a groundwater basin or subbasin; and -Voluntary cooperative groundwater monitoring association.

-Requires the Department of Water Resources to perform the groundwater monitoring functions for portions of the basin or subbasin for which no monitoring entity has agreed to perform the functions (Sec. 1). -Prohibits the Department of Water Resources or any entity that is participating in the monitoring of groundwater from entering private property without consent of the property owner or requiring a private property owner to submit groundwater monitoring information (Sec. 1). -Requires the Department of Water Resources to conduct an investigation of the state's groundwater basins and report its findings to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2012, and each year thereafter that ends in a "5" or "0" (Sec. 3). -Authorizes the appropriation of unallocated bond revenue to fund the groundwater elevation monitoring program (Sec. 1). -Specifies that the provisions of this Act are contingent upon the passage of SBx7 1 and SBx7 7 (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text