ARTICLE 2.7. Registration of Appropriations for Small Domestic, Small Irrigation, and Livestock Stockpond Uses [1228. - 1229.1.]

Cal. Water Code - WAT 2.7.
in effect

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.1. Section 1228.1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the public interest to provide a timely, efficient, and economic procedure for the acquisition of rights to appropriate water for a small domestic use, including incidental stock watering and irrigation uses, a small irrigation use, and for a livestock stockpond subject to prior rights. (b) As used in this article: (1) “Small domestic use” means a domestic use, as that use is defined by board rule, or a use for aesthetic, fire protection, recreational, or fish and wildlife purposes that is associated with a dwelling or other facility for human occupation, that does not exceed direct diversion of 4,500 gallons per day or diversion to storage of 10 acre-feet per year. (2) “Small irrigation use” means either of the following: (A) An irrigation use, heat control use, or frost protection use, not to exceed diversion to storage of 20 acre-feet per year, including impoundment for incidental aesthetic, fire protection, recreational, or fish and wildlife purposes. (B) An irrigation use not to exceed direct diversion of 42,000 gallons per day, up to a maximum of 20 acre-feet per year. (3) “Livestock stockpond” means a water impoundment structure constructed for livestock watering use not to exceed direct diversion of 4,500 gallons per day, or diversion to storage of 10 acre-feet per year, as that use is defined by the board, and including impoundment for incidental aesthetic, fire protection, recreational, or fish and wildlife purposes.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.2. Section 1228.2.

(a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), a person may obtain a right to appropriate water for a small domestic, small irrigation, or livestock stockpond use upon first registering the use with the board and thereafter applying the water to reasonable and beneficial use with due diligence. (2) With regard to an appropriation for small domestic use, a registration shall not be filed for a facility served by or used pursuant to a permit or license for domestic or municipal use, and not more than one small domestic use registration shall be in effect at any time for any facility. A small domestic use registration and a livestock stockpond use registration may be in effect for the same facility if the total combined water use covered by the registrations does not exceed 10 acre-feet per year. (3) With regard to an appropriation for small irrigation use, more than one registration may be in effect at any time for a registrant if the diversion or storage facilities subject to registration for a registrant do not exceed the ratio of one per 20 irrigated acres, and if the total water use on all acreage covered by the registrations, including any water use based on other rights, does not exceed 100 acre-feet per year. (4) A small domestic use registration and a small irrigation use registration, or a livestock stockpond use registration and a small irrigation use registration, may be in effect for the same facility only if the total combined water use covered by the registrations does not exceed 20 acre-feet per year. (5) With regard to an appropriation for livestock stockpond use, more than one registration may be in effect at any time for a registrant if stockponds subject to registration for that registrant do not exceed the ratio of one per 50 acres. (b) Initiation of rights to appropriate water pursuant to this article shall be subject to Article 1.3 (commencing with Section 1205), relating to fully appropriated stream systems. The board shall not accept a registration of water use which proposes as a source of water supply a stream system which has been unconditionally declared by the board to be fully appropriated pursuant to Section 1205, except that subdivision (b) of Section 1206, relating to conditional declarations of fully appropriated stream systems, shall apply to registration of water use pursuant to this article, and the board shall accept those registrations where consistent with the conditions specified in the declaration. (c) The board shall annually prepare and post on its Internet Web site information summarizing the location, nature, and amount of water appropriated pursuant to this article. The information shall include a description of the availability of unappropriated water in those stream systems which may become fully appropriated within the next reporting period. (d) If a registration is filed with a source of supply on a stream system that the most recent report submitted under subdivision (c) identifies as a stream system that may become fully appropriated within the next reporting period, the registration shall not take effect unless the board finds that unappropriated water is available for the appropriation proposed by the registration. If the board finds that unappropriated water is not available to supply the proposed appropriation, the board shall, following notice and hearing, determine whether that stream system should be declared fully appropriated pursuant to Article 1.3 (commencing with Section 1205).

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.3. Section 1228.3.

(a) Registration of water use pursuant to this article shall be made upon a form prescribed by the board. The registration form shall set forth all of the following: (1) The name and post office address of the registrant. (2) The source of water supply. (3) The nature and amount of the proposed use. (4) The proposed place of diversion. (5) The place where it is intended to use the water. (6) The time for completion of construction of diversion works and for complete application of the water to the proposed use. (7) A certification that the registrant has contacted a representative of the Department of Fish and Wildlife designated by that department for that purpose, has provided information to that department that is set forth in the registration form, and has agreed to comply with all lawful conditions, including, but not limited to, conditions upon the construction and operation of diversion works, required by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The certification shall include a copy of any conditions required by the Department of Fish and Wildlife pursuant to this paragraph. (8) Any other information that may reasonably be required by the board. (b) Registration of water use shall be deemed completed on the date that the form, executed in substantial compliance with the requirements of this section, and the registration fee specified in Section 1525 are received by the board. (c) The board shall issue monthly a list of registrations filed under this article during the preceding calendar month. This list shall contain the information required by paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a). The list shall set forth a date prior to which an interested person may file a written protest in opposition to the approval of a stockpond registration. That date shall be not later than 30 days from the date on which the list is issued. The board shall mail the monthly list of registrations filed to a person who requests the list. (d) Prior to the date set forth on the list required under subdivision (c), an interested person may file with the board a written protest in opposition to the approval of a stockpond registration. The protest shall clearly set forth the protestant’s objections to the registered use based on interference with prior rights. The protest shall be served on the registrant by the protestant by mailing a duplicate copy of the protest to the registrant, or through service undertaken in another manner determined to be adequate by the board. The procedures set forth in Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 1345) of Chapter 5 shall be used for reviewing a protested registration.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.4. Section 1228.4.

(a) Any completed registration of water use gives to the registrant a priority of right as of the date of completed registration to take and use the amount of water ultimately applied with due diligence to reasonable and beneficial use thereunder, which amount shall not exceed the amount of proposed use as shown on the registration form. (b) Any right obtained pursuant to this article shall remain in effect unless and until any of the following occur: (1) The right is forfeited for nonuse pursuant to Section 1241, or abandoned. (2) The right is revoked because the registrant knowingly made any false statement, or knowingly concealed any material fact, in the registration. (3) The right is revoked for failure to renew the registration as provided in this article. (4) The right is revoked pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1228.6.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.5. Section 1228.5.

(a) Registration of a small domestic, small irrigation, or livestock stockpond use pursuant to this article shall be renewed prior to the expiration of each five-year period following completed registration. (b) Registrations for which all annual fees have been timely paid and all annual reports have been timely submitted at the expiration of the five-year registration shall be renewed by operation of law. (c) The conditions established by the board pursuant to Section 1228.6 that are in effect at the time of renewal of registration shall supersede the conditions that were applicable to the original completed registration. (d) A registration for which fees or water use reports remain outstanding at the expiration of the five-year registration period shall be revoked by operation of law.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.6. Section 1228.6.

(a) The board shall establish, and may from time to time revise, reasonable general conditions to which all appropriations made pursuant to this article shall be subject. The conditions shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (1) The appropriation is subject to prior rights. (2) All conditions lawfully required by the Department of Fish and Wildlife are conditions upon the appropriations. (3) Diversion works shall be constructed and water applied to beneficial use with due diligence. (4) Registration shall be renewed and water use reported pursuant to law and to the rules of the board. (b) Immediately upon registration pursuant to Section 1228.3, renewal of registration pursuant to Section 1228.5, or amended registration pursuant to Section 1228.7, the board shall provide the registrant with a written document setting forth the conditions required by this section, and the perfection and exercise of rights acquired pursuant to this article shall at all times be subject to those conditions. (c) The conditions required by this section shall be deemed “terms and conditions” within the meaning of Section 1825 and the expression of legislative intent contained in that section shall be applicable thereto. The authority of the board to enforce the terms and conditions of permits and licenses to appropriate water, and to prevent the unlawful diversion of water, including, but not limited to, provisions regarding cease and desist orders and the revocation of permits and licenses, shall be applicable to appropriations initiated or perfected pursuant to this article.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1228.7. Section 1228.7.

(a) A registrant may change the point of diversion or place of use by delivering to the board an amended registration form in accordance with Section 1228.3, including payment of the registration fee specified in Section 1525, except that the purpose of the use shall not be changed and the change shall not operate to the injury of any legal user of the water involved. (b) A completed amended registration of water use continues in effect the priority of right as of the date of the original completed registration. (c) All provisions of this article regarding appropriations made pursuant thereto, including, but not limited to, provisions regarding enforcement, are applicable to the appropriation as described in the completed amended registration, except that the conditions established by the board pursuant to Section 1228.6 that are in effect at the time of completion of the amended registration shall supersede the conditions that were applicable to the original completed registration.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1229. Section 1229.

(a) The board is not required to adopt general conditions for small irrigation use pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1228.6 until the board determines that funds are available for that purpose. (b) A registration for small irrigation use pursuant to this article is not authorized until the board establishes general conditions for small irrigation use pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1228.6 to protect instream beneficial uses. (c) The board may establish general conditions for some methods of diversion or categories of small irrigation use before establishing general conditions for other methods or categories, in which case a registration for small irrigation use is authorized only for those methods or categories for which the board has established the general conditions for the protection of instream beneficial uses.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 1229.1. Section 1229.1.

(a) This article does not apply to those stream segments for which the Director of Fish and Wildlife establishes proposed streamflow requirements pursuant to Section 10002 of the Public Resources Code, notwithstanding the July 1, 1989, deadline for preparation of the requirements. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this article applies to a registration filed before the Director of Fish and Wildlife establishes proposed streamflow requirements for the source of water supply for the registration. The conditions for renewal under subdivision (c) of Section 1228.5 may include any conditions the Department of Fish and Wildlife determines to be necessary to protect stream-related fish and wildlife resources on a source of water supply for which the Director of Fish and Wildlife has established proposed streamflow requirements pursuant to Section 10002 of the Public Resources Code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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