ARTICLE 1. Formation of Maintenance Areas [12878. - 12878.21.]

Cal. Water Code - WAT 1.

in effect

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878. Section 12878.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply throughout this chapter: (a) “Department” means Department of Water Resources. (b) “Director” means the Director of Water Resources. (c) “Board” means the State Reclamation Board. (d) Wherever the words “board or department” or “board or director” are used together in this chapter they shall mean board as to any project in the Sacramento or San Joaquin Valleys or on or near the Sacramento River or the San Joaquin River or any of their tributaries, and department or director as to any project in any other part of the state outside of the jurisdiction of the board. (e) “Project” means any project that has been authorized pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 12639) or Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 12850) and concerning which assurances have been given to the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of Agriculture that the state or a political subdivision thereof will operate and maintain the project works in accordance with regulations prescribed by the federal government or any project upon which assurances have been given to the Secretary of the Army and upon which the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, has performed work pursuant to Section 208 of Public Law 780, 83rd Congress, 2nd Session, approved September 3, 1954. (f) “Maintenance” means work described as maintenance by the federal regulations issued by the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Agriculture, the department, or the board for any project. (g) “Maintenance area” means described or delineated lands that are found by the board or department to be benefited by the maintenance and operation of a particular unit of a project. (h) “Unit” means any portion of the works of a project designated as a unit by the board or department, other than the works prescribed in Section 8361, or works operated and maintained by the United States. (i) “Land” includes improvements. (j) “Local agency” means and includes all districts or other public agencies responsible for the operation of works of any project under Section 8370, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 12639) or Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 12850) or any other law of this state. (k) “Cost of operation and maintenance” means, for the purposes of maintenance areas established after July 31, 2004, as the result of relinquishment by a local agency pursuant to Section 12878.1 only, the cost of all maintenance, as defined in subdivision (f), and shall also include, but is not limited to, all of the following costs: (1) All costs incurred by the department or the board in the formation of the maintenance area under this chapter. (2) Any costs, if deemed appropriate by the department, to secure insurance covering liability to others for damages arising from the maintenance activities of the department or from flooding in the maintenance area. (3) Any costs of defending any action brought against the state, the department, or the board, or any employees of these entities, for damages arising from the maintenance activities of the department or from flooding in the maintenance area. (4) Any costs incurred in the payment of any judgment or settlement of an action against the state, the department, or the board, or any employees of these entities, for damages arising from the formation of the maintenance area or from any maintenance activities of the department or flooding in the maintenance area.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.1. Section 12878.1.

(a) If the department determines that a unit of a project is not being operated or maintained in accordance with the standards established by federal regulations, if the department determines that the modification of a unit of a project that has been permitted by the board and that provides flood protection is not being operated or maintained in accordance with the requirements established by the board or the department, or if the governing body of a local agency obligated to operate and maintain that unit by resolution duly adopted and filed with the department declares that it no longer desires to operate and maintain the project unit, the department shall prepare a statement to that effect specifying in detail the particular items of work necessary to be done in order to comply with the standards of the federal government and the requirements of the board or the department together with an estimate of the cost thereof for the current fiscal year and for the immediately ensuing fiscal year. (b) Subject to subdivision (c), but notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board or the department is not required to proceed in accordance with subdivision (a) or with the formation of a maintenance area under this chapter if neither the board nor the department has given the nonfederal assurances to the United States required for the project. If neither the board nor the department has given the nonfederal assurances to the United States required for the project, the board or department may elect to proceed with the formation if it determines that the formation of a maintenance area is in the best interest of the state. (c) If a local agency requests the department to form a maintenance area by resolution duly adopted and filed with the department, the department shall estimate the cost of preparing the statement of necessary work and the cost thereof, and all other applicable costs incurred by the department before the formation of the maintenance area. The department shall submit that estimate to the local agency. The department is not required to perform any additional work to form that maintenance area until the local agency pays the department the amount estimated pursuant to this subdivision.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.2. Section 12878.2.

The statement shall include a description of the unit and the name of the local agency, if any, responsible for its operation and maintenance and such statement shall be transmitted to the affected local agency in all cases and also to the board as to projects under its jurisdiction.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.3. Section 12878.3.

Any such statement shall not be admissible as evidence in any court action brought against the local agency, its governing body or any member thereof or the State or any of its officials, nor shall the failure of the local agency, its governing body, or any member thereof, or the State or any of its officials, to comply with anything which may be specified as necessary in any such statement, be construed as negligence in any such action.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.4. Section 12878.4.

If the local agency, within 45 days after the date of receipt of the said statement of the department, files a protest thereto with the board or department setting forth in detail the basis of its objections, then the board or department shall schedule a hearing to be held within 30 days of the filing of the said protest to hear any relevant information which said local agency may care to present in support of its protest. As to projects under the jurisdiction of the board, the board shall make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the likelihood that the unit will thereafter be operated and maintained satisfactorily by the local agency. The said local agency shall be given at least 10 days written notice of the date and place of said hearing. Representatives of the local agency, the department and other interested parties may appear at the said hearing and present any information relevant to the said protest of the local agency or in support of the statement of the department. Upon conclusion of said hearing, if the board or department finds that there are no items of defective maintenance, or that the local agency will correct the deficiencies and maintain and operate the project works in accordance with the standards established by the federal regulations, there shall be no further proceedings under the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.5. Section 12878.5.

If no protest is received by the board or department pursuant to the provisions of the preceding section, the board or department shall adopt and establish the estimated sum previously set forth in the statement of the department made pursuant to Section 12878.1 of this code as the amount necessary to maintain the unit during the current and the ensuing fiscal year and shall thereupon proceed with the formation of a maintenance area in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.6. Section 12878.6.

If, within 30 days after conclusion of the hearing held pursuant to Section 12878.4 of this code, the governing body of the local agency has not given assurances satisfactory to the board or department that the said local agency will correct the deficiencies and maintain and operate the project works in accordance with the standards established by the federal regulations, or that such local agency does not desire to continue to operate and maintain such unit, or that there is no such local agency obligated to so maintain and operate such unit, the board or department shall establish the amount of money necessary to maintain the unit during the current and ensuing fiscal year and shall proceed with the formation of a maintenance area in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.7. Section 12878.7.

The board or department shall prepare a description of the proposed boundaries together with a map thereof for each maintenance area to be formed. For the purpose of preparing these boundaries and this map, the board or department shall make such investigations as may be necessary and may utilize any and all books, maps, or other relevant records, whether or not on file in the offices of the board or department or any other office or agency of the State. All officers or agencies of the State shall render whatever assistance may be required to facilitate the work of the board or department pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.8. Section 12878.8.

Any maintenance area may be divided into zones when it is determined by the investigation that the benefit to the land in the area is not uniform throughout the area.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.9. Section 12878.9.

If a maintenance area is divided into zones, the zones shall be given a numerical designation starting with Zone 1 which shall be the zone which receives the greatest proportional benefit. This benefit shall be expressed as 100 percent and the benefits received by the other zones shall be expressed in terms of relatively smaller percentages as such benefits compare with those received by Zone 1. The map of the proposed boundaries of the maintenance area shall also show the boundaries of the zones, if any, therein and the percentages of benefits to each such zone. The amount to be collected from each zone of a maintenance area shall be determined by the following formula: the assessed valuation of the land within the zone, multiplied by the percentage of benefit for that zone, multiplied by the total amount to be collected in the maintenance area; divided by the sum of the various products obtained by multiplying the assessed valuation of each zone in the maintenance area by its corresponding percentage of benefit.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.10. Section 12878.10.

Upon completion of the said description and map, the board or department shall schedule a hearing to be held either at some convenient place within the proposed boundaries of the maintenance area or at Sacramento, whichever appears to the board or department to be more convenient for all interested parties.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.11. Section 12878.11.

Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication in at least one newspaper of general circulation within the proposed boundaries of the maintenance area for at least once a week for two successive weeks.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.12. Section 12878.12.

The notice shall state the time and place of hearing, that the purpose of the hearing is to establish the boundaries of the maintenance area benefited by the continued operation and maintenance of the unit, and the location of the place or places where the map showing the proposed boundaries as determined by the board or department may be inspected by any interested person. The notice shall include a description of the maintenance area, which may be brief and in general terms.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.13. Section 12878.13.

At the hearing any owner of land within the proposed boundaries of the maintenance area or other interested person may offer, and the board or department shall receive, any relevant evidence or testimony relating to the establishment of the boundaries of the area, the zones therein, or the benefits to be received by the continued operation and maintenance of the unit. Any such owner or interested person may object to the inclusion of land within the maintenance area or any zone therein or may request the inclusion of any other land within the area or a change in the boundaries or percentage of benefits of any zone.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.14. Section 12878.14.

Land lying without the exterior boundaries of the proposed maintenance area as shown on the map prepared by the board or department shall not be included within the maintenance area unless at the hearing the owner thereof consents or the owner is given notice and an opportunity to object to such inclusion and to be heard thereon.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.15. Section 12878.15.

When any such additional land is proposed to be included and the owner’s consent is not given, the hearing shall be adjourned to a specified time and place.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.16. Section 12878.16.

Notice of such adjourned hearing, where additional land is to be included, and the purpose thereof shall be given by publication of notice at least once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the land, or the greater portion of the land, sought to be included is situated, or, in lieu of such publication, by service by registered mail upon the owner of such land as determined by the last equalized assessment roll in accordance with which such land was assessed.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.17. Section 12878.17.

Upon the final conclusion of such hearing the board or department shall establish the boundaries of the maintenance area and of the zones therein and the percentages of benefits of the respective zones, in such manner that all of the lands benefited by the continued operation and maintenance of the unit will be included in the maintenance area and that all land within the area will be classified in proportion to the benefits received by it.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.18. Section 12878.18.

Land benefited by more than one unit may be included within as many maintenance areas as there are units by which it is benefited.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.19. Section 12878.19.

The establishment of a maintenance area pursuant to this chapter shall be evidenced by an order or resolution of the board or director creating such area. The order or resolution shall describe the boundaries of the maintenance area and of the zones and the percentage of benefits for each zone, if any, and each such area shall be given a name, which may include a number, by which the area shall be known and designated. Such name shall be as brief as circumstances permit.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.20. Section 12878.20.

The order or resolution determining and establishing the boundaries thereof shall be filed for record in the office of the county recorder of each county within which any portion of a maintenance area is located. Thereupon the determination and establishment of such maintenance area shall be complete.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 12878.21. Section 12878.21.

Upon the formation of a maintenance area, the department shall thereafter operate and maintain the unit until such time as the maintenance area may be dissolved pursuant to this chapter. If the board or the department forms a maintenance area for a portion of a unit of a project, any remaining portion of the unit of a project not included in the maintenance area shall remain the responsibility of the local agency obligated to operate and maintain that unit.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026