Bill Text: CA SB1259 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Dams: sedimentation studies.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-08-14 - Set, second hearing. Held under submission. [SB1259 Detail]
Download: California-2013-SB1259-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 1259 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 27, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 5, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 3, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Senator Pavley
(Principal coauthor: Senator Cannella)
(Coauthor: Senator Wolk)
FEBRUARY 21, 2014
An act to amend Sections 6120 and 10004.6 of the Water Code,
relating to water.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1259, as amended, Pavley. Dams: sedimentation studies.
Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to make or
cause to be made investigations and gather or cause to be gathered
data as needed for a proper review and study of the various features
of the design and construction of dams, reservoirs, and
appurtenances.
This bill would require the department, in collaboration with
specified entities, to make or cause to be made investigations and to
gather or cause to be gathered data for a proper review and study of
the loss of storage capacity behind dams resulting from
sedimentation and would authorize the department to limit the
study to certain reservoirs . The bill would require results of
the sedimentation study to be reflected in the
quinquennial update of the The
California Water Plan and be provided to the appropriate policy
committees of the Senate and the Assembly. The bill would require
that an initial study be completed by January 1, 2017, and
that a sedimentation study include an evaluation of
the department to identify high-priority reservoirs for additional
evaluation, for which the department would be required to evaluate
and characterize the sediment for mercury and sediment size and to
identify and evaluate cost-effective strategies for sediment
removal, relative to the costs of alternative methods of flood
protection and water supply.
Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update
the The California Water Plan, which is
a plan for the conservation, development, and use of the water
resources of the state, every 5 years. Existing law requires the
department, as part of the update, to conduct a study to determine
the amount of water needed to meet the state's future needs. The
department is required, one year prior to issuing each update to the
California Water Plan, to release a draft of assumptions and
estimates upon which the study will be based. Existing law prescribes
a list of subjects for which the department is required to release
those assumptions and estimates.
This bill would add estimated loss of storage capacity behind dams
resulting from sedimentation to that list.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 6120 of the Water Code is amended to read:
6120. (a) For the purpose of enabling it to make decisions as
compatible with economy and public safety as possible, the department
shall make or cause to be made investigations and shall gather or
cause to be gathered data as may be needed for a proper review and
study of the various features of the design and construction of dams,
reservoirs, and appurtenances.
(b) (1) The department shall further make or cause to be made
investigations and shall gather or cause to be gathered data as may
be needed for a proper review and study of the loss of storage
capacity behind dams resulting from sedimentation. The
department may limit the sedimentation study to those reservoirs the
department anticipates will have either a high volume of
sedimentation or a high sedimentation rate. The results of the
sedimentation study shall be reflected in the quinquennial update of
the The California Water Plan developed
pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 10004) of Part 1.5 of
Division 6 and shall be provided to the appropriate policy
committees of the Senate and Assembly.
(2) An initial sedimentation study shall
may be completed by January 1, 2017.
(3) A sedimentation study may be based upon all of the following:
(A) A compilation of published and unpublished sedimentation data
from dam operators and other sources.
(B) Original reservoir surveys at reservoirs lacking sedimentation
data. data, where the department deems
appropriate.
(C) An evaluation and characterization of sediment for mercury and
sediment grain size.
(D)
(C) Modeling, including techniques such as geographic
information system-based reservoir sedimentation modeling.
(4) A sedimentation study shall include an evaluation of
cost-effective strategies for sediment removal, relative to the costs
of alternative methods of flood protection and water supply,
including the costs of constructing new dams and reservoirs.
(4) The department shall identify high-priority reservoirs for
additional evaluation within the study, for which the department
shall do both of the following:
(A) Evaluate and characterize the sediment for mercury and
sediment size.
(B) Identity and evaluate cost-effective strategies for sediment
removal, relative to the costs of alternative methods of flood
protection and water supply, including the costs of constructing new
dams and reservoirs.
(5) In designing and conducting a sedimentation study, the
department shall collaborate with the United States Bureau of
Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United
States Geological Survey, and the Delta Independent Science Board.
SEC. 2. Section 10004.6 of the Water Code is amended to read:
10004.6. (a) As part of updating The California Water Plan every
five years pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10004, the
department shall conduct a study to determine the amount of water
needed to meet the state's future needs and to recommend programs,
policies, and facilities to meet those needs.
(b) The department shall consult with the advisory committee
established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10004 in carrying
out this section.
(c) One year before issuing each update to The California Water
Plan, the department shall release a preliminary draft of the
assumptions and other estimates upon which the study will be based,
to interested persons and entities throughout the state for their
review and comments. The department shall provide these persons and
entities an opportunity to present written or oral comments on the
preliminary draft. The department shall consider these documents when
adopting the final assumptions and estimates for the study. For the
purpose of carrying out this subdivision, the department shall
release, at a minimum, assumptions and other estimates relating to
all of the following:
(1) Basin hydrology, including annual rainfall, estimated
unimpaired streamflow, depletions, and consumptive uses.
(2) Groundwater supplies, including estimates of sustainable
yield, supplies necessary to recover overdraft basins, and supplies
lost due to pollution and other groundwater contaminants.
(3) Current and projected land use patterns, including the mix of
residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and undeveloped
lands.
(4) Environmental water needs, including regulatory instream flow
requirements, nonregulated instream uses, and water needs by
wetlands, preserves, refuges, and other managed and unmanaged natural
resource lands.
(5) Current and projected population.
(6) Current and projected water use for all of the following:
(A) Interior uses in a single-family dwelling.
(B) Exterior uses in a single-family dwelling.
(C) All uses in a multifamily dwelling.
(D) Commercial uses.
(E) Industrial uses.
(F) Parks and open spaces.
(G) Agricultural water diversion and use.
(7) Evapotranspiration rates for major crop types, including
estimates of evaporative losses by irrigation practice and the extent
to which evaporation reduces transpiration.
(8) Current and projected adoption of urban and agricultural
conservation practices.
(9) Current and projected supplies of water provided by water
recycling and reuse.
(10) Estimated loss of storage capacity behind dams resulting from
sedimentation, as found by the study conducted pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 6120.
(d) The department shall include a discussion of the potential for
alternative water pricing policies to change current and projected
water uses identified pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (c).
(e) This section does not require the department to update, or
prohibit the department from updating, any data necessary to update
The California Water Plan pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
10004.
