Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79500. Section 79500.
This division shall be known and may be cited as the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002.
CHAPTER 1. General Provisions [79500. - 79509.6.]
Cal. Water Code - WAT 1.
in effectCal. Water Code - WAT § 79501. Section 79501.
The people of California find and declare that it is necessary and in the public interest to do all of the following:
(a)
Secure and safeguard the integrity of the state’s water supply from catastrophic damage or failure from terrorist acts or other deliberate acts of destruction.
(b)
Provide a safe, clean, affordable, and sufficient water supply to meet the needs of California residents, farms, and businesses.
(c)
Provide adequate financing for balanced implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program to:
(1)
Provide good water quality for all beneficial uses.
(2)
Improve and increase aquatic and terrestrial habitats and improve ecological functions in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary to support sustainable populations of diverse plant and animal species.
(3)
Reduce the mismatch between Bay-Delta water supplies and current and projected beneficial uses dependent on the Bay-Delta system.
(4)
Reduce the risk to land uses and associated economic activities, water supply, infrastructure, and ecosystems from catastrophic breaching of Delta levees.
(d)
Establish and facilitate integrated regional water management systems and procedures to meet increasing water demands due to significant population growth that is straining local infrastructure and water supplies.
(e)
Improve practices within watersheds to improve water quality, reduce pollution, capture additional storm water runoff, protect and manage groundwater better, and increase water use efficiency.
(f)
Protect urban communities from drought, increase supplies of clean drinking water, reduce dependence on imported water, reduce pollution of rivers, lakes, streams, and coastal waters, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.
(g)
Invest in projects that further the ability of all Californians to live within California’s basic apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet per year of Colorado River water pursuant to the Colorado River Water Use Plan.
(h)
Protect, restore, and acquire beaches and coastal uplands, wetlands, and watershed lands along the coast and in San Francisco Bay to protect the quality of drinking water, to keep beaches and coastal waters safe from water pollution, and to provide the wildlife and plant habitat and riparian and wetlands areas needed to support functioning coastal and San Francisco Bay ecosystems for the benefit of the people of California.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79502. Section 79502.
It is the intent of the people in enacting this division that it be administered and executed in the most expeditious manner possible, and that all state, regional and local officials implement this division to the fullest extent of their authority.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79503. Section 79503.
It is the intent of the people that water facility projects financed pursuant to this division shall be designed and constructed so as to improve the security and safety of the state’s drinking water system.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79504. Section 79504.
It is the intent of the people that investment of public funds pursuant to this division should result in public benefits.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79505. Section 79505.
As used in this division, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a)
“Acquisition” means the acquisition of a fee interest or any other interest, including easements, leases, and development rights.
(b)
“Board” means the State Water Resources Control Board.
(c)
“CALFED” means the consortium of state and federal agencies with management and regulatory responsibilities in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary.
(d)
“CALFED Bay-Delta Program” means the undertaking by CALFED to develop and implement, by means of the final programmatic environmental impact statement/environmental impact report, the preferred programs, actions, projects, and related activities that will provide solutions to identified problem areas related to the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary ecosystem, including but not limited to the Bay-Delta and its tributary watersheds.
(e)
“Department” means the Department of Water Resources.
(f)
“Fund” means the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 created pursuant to Section 79510.
(g)
“Nonprofit organization” means any nonprofit corporation formed pursuant to the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law (Division 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of Title 1 of the Corporations Code) and qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
(h)
“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Resources Agency.
(i)
“Wetlands” means lands that may be covered periodically or permanently with shallow water and include saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, open or closed brackish water marshes, swamps, mudflats, fens, and vernal pools.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79505.5. Section 79505.5.
As used in this division, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a)
“Disadvantaged community” means a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income.
(b)
“Matching funds” means funds made available by nonstate sources, which may include, but are not limited to, donated services from nonstate sources.
(c)
Notwithstanding subdivision (b), matching funds for a state agency may include state funds and services.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79505.6. Section 79505.6.
(a)
(1)
By March 15, 2004, each state agency disbursing grants or loans pursuant to this division shall develop project solicitation and evaluation guidelines. The guidelines may include a limitation on the size of grants or loans to be awarded.
(2)
Prior to disbursing grants, each state agency shall conduct two public meetings to consider public comments prior to finalizing the guidelines. Each state agency shall publish the draft solicitation and evaluation guidelines on its Internet Web site at least 30 days before the public meetings. One meeting shall be conducted at a location in northern California and one meeting shall be conducted at a location in southern California. Upon adoption, each state agency shall transmit copies of the guidelines to the fiscal committees and the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. To the extent feasible, each state agency shall provide outreach to disadvantaged communities to promote access and participation in those meetings.
(3)
(A)
Subject to subparagraph (B), the guidelines may include a requirement for matching funds.
(B)
A state agency may not require matching funds for the purposes of awarding a grant financed by this division to assist a disadvantaged community, except as follows:
(i)
For the purposes of awarding a grant pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 79545, the department shall impose matching fund requirements in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 79545.
(ii)
For the purposes of awarding a grant subject to Section 79564, the board shall impose matching fund requirements in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 79564.
(b)
Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a state agency, in lieu of adopting guidelines pursuant to subdivision (a), may use guidelines existing on January 1, 2004, to the extent those guidelines conform to the applicable requirements of this division.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79506. Section 79506.
Every proposed activity to be financed pursuant to this division shall be in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)) of the Public Resources Code.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79506.7. Section 79506.7.
State agencies that are authorized to award loans or grants financed by this division shall provide technical assistance with regard to the preparation of the applications for those loans or grants in a manner that, among other things, addresses the needs of economically disadvantaged communities.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79507. Section 79507.
Watershed protection activities financed pursuant to this division shall be consistent with the applicable adopted local watershed management plan and the applicable regional water quality control plan adopted by the regional water quality control board.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79508. Section 79508.
Watershed protection activities in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles River watersheds shall be consistent with the San Gabriel and Los Angeles River Watershed and Open Space Plan as adopted by the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this plan shall be implemented pursuant to Division 23 (commencing with Section 33000) of the Public Resources Code in the watershed of the Los Angeles River upstream of the northernmost boundary of the City of Vernon and pursuant to Division 22.8 (commencing with Section 32600) of the Public Resources Code in the San Gabriel River and in the lower Los Angeles River watershed.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79509. Section 79509.
Except for projects financed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 79545) or Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 79570), to be eligible to be financed pursuant to this division, any project that will wholly or partially assist in the fulfillment of one or more of the goals of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program shall be consistent with the CALFED Programmatic Record of Decision, and shall be implemented, to the maximum extent possible, through local and regional programs.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79509.6. Section 79509.6.
(a)
For the purposes of ensuring compliance with Section 79509, the California Bay-Delta Authority shall review regulations, guidelines, or criteria that are proposed by an implementing agency to carry out a grant program for projects and activities that meet the following criteria:
(1)
The project is located within the CALFED solution area as defined in the CALFED final programmatic environmental impact statement/environmental impact report, dated July 2000.
(2)
The project wholly or partially assists in the fulfillment of one or more of the goals of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.
(b)
Except for projects financed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 79545) or Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 79570), the California Bay-Delta Authority may review, and comment to the appropriate implementing agency with regard to, a proposal to award a grant pursuant to this division on behalf of a project that meets the criteria set forth in subdivision (a) for the purposes of determining whether or not the project is consistent with the CALFED Programmatic Record of Decision.
(c)
To avoid any delays in project awards, the opportunity for review by the California Bay-Delta Authority pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be incorporated into the grant program schedules established by the implementing agencies.
(d)
For the purposes of this section, “implementing agency” has the same definition as that set forth in subdivision (h) of Section 79402.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026