The San Joaquin River Conservancy is part of California's Resources Agency. It's tasked with acquiring and managing public lands along the San Joaquin River Parkway, spanning from Friant Dam to where the river crosses Highway 99.

This area totals about 5,900 acres, split between Madera County and Fresno County. The conservancy's goal is to support recreational and educational use while protecting wildlife and natural resources in the area.

This section says that the conservancy is in charge of running and keeping up the parkway. If they can't keep any part of it clean, safe, or able to protect wildlife and nearby property owners' rights, they must close those areas to the public. This also includes lands downstream from the Highway 99 crossing that are affected by the parkway's use.

This law states that the conservancy has authority over the parts of the parkway that it owns or has acquired.

This law defines the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the conservancy. It includes land and water used for parkway purposes, public lands managed by the conservancy for other agencies, and private lands that either need conservation services or are managed under a voluntary agreement.

This law section explains that the conservancy is responsible for coordinating with state and local agencies as well as private groups interested in the San Joaquin River and its resources. Although these agencies keep ownership of any land they have in the parkway, they can agree to let the conservancy manage that land. If no public agency is managing the area, the conservancy will take on that role. However, zoning and land use decisions are still up to the individual agencies who are part of the conservancy.

This section describes how the governing board of the conservancy is to be composed and who appoints its 16 voting members. Members include local government officials from Fresno and Madera counties, representatives from the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and Madera Irrigation District, and three public members from specified areas.

It also includes a Californian Native American tribe member, a youth member aged 18-26 not holding any elected position, and representatives from various state departments like Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, Finance, and others with specific appointing authority given to figures like the Governor and the Senate Committee on Rules.

This law states that more than half of the board's voting members are required to be present for them to make official decisions. Additionally, the board's meetings must follow the rules set out in the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, which ensures that meetings are open and accessible to the public.

Board members serve for four years. If a member stops being an elected or appointed official, they automatically lose their board position. Also, if a board member must live in a specific area and moves away, their spot becomes vacant.

This law states that board members who are neither elected nor appointed officials can be paid up to $75 per day when they attend meetings or engage in board business. However, their total payment cannot exceed $450 in a year. They can also be reimbursed for any real and necessary expenses they incur. Importantly, members can choose to not receive this payment if they wish.

Each year, the board members who can vote must choose a chairperson and a vice chairperson from among themselves. If either of these positions becomes empty, the voting members will pick someone new to fill the spot for the rest of the term. No one can be the chairperson for more than two terms in a row.

This law requires the conservancy to have adequate liability insurance to protect against potential claims. Additionally, it must also defend and financially protect its member agencies from any actions or failures by the conservancy’s staff and volunteers.