This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Watershed Protection and Restoration Act.
Chapter 6.5California Watershed Protection and Restoration Act
Section § 5808
This section officially names the chapter as the California Watershed Protection and Restoration Act. It's essentially telling you what you can call the legislation.
watershed protection restoration California watersheds environmental act watershed restoration protection act ecosystem restoration conservation efforts water resources habitat preservation sustainable practices environmental protection policies waterway management California natural resources ecosystem health
Section § 5808.1
This law emphasizes the importance of collaborations between governments and local communities in conserving and enhancing California's rivers and streams for various benefits, such as habitat and public health. It highlights how voluntary, community-based watershed efforts can improve natural resource protection and mentions a report that supports promoting local partnerships for watershed management. The intent is to increase understanding among government agencies about local watershed work.
The law encourages the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Resources Agency to support these local efforts through consistent and predictable assistance and grants, aligning with existing water-related regulations and statutes.
The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(a) In addition to the statutory and regulatory policies and programs established pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.), Division 20.4 (commencing with Section 30901), and Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600) of Division 5, Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) and Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code, and other statutes and regulations affecting watershed planning and protection, efforts to conserve, maintain, restore, protect, enhance, and utilize California’s rivers and streams for habitat, recreation, water supply, public health, economic development, and other purposes have a greater likelihood of being successful when governments, including federal and tribal governments, work in partnership with citizens in an effort to combine community resources, local initiative, and state agency support.
(b)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(b) The Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 2117 of the 1999–2000 Regular Session (Ch. 735, Stats. 2000) to require the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Resources Agency to evaluate how effective voluntary, community-based, collaborative watershed efforts or partnerships are in contributing to the protection and enhancement of California’s natural resources, and what the state can do to assist them.
(c)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(c) The agencies produced a Report to the Legislature: Addressing the Need to Protect California’s Watersheds—Working with Local Partnerships, April 2002.
(d)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(d) The recommendations of that report form the basis and factual support for promoting and encouraging local partnerships in watershed restoration, protection, and management as one of the nonregulatory means of improving watersheds.
(e)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that this act will bring more understanding to government agencies of the nature, scope, and complexity of working on a watershed basis at the local and regional level.
(f)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.1(f) To the extent consistent with the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.), Division 20.4 (commencing with Section 30901) and Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600) of Division 5, Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) and Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code, and other statutes and regulations affecting watershed planning and protection, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Resources Agency are encouraged to provide assistance and grants under this chapter in a uniform and predictable manner to those who choose to participate in the important work of watershed restoration and enhancement pursuant to this chapter.
watershed restoration local partnerships community-based efforts river conservation stream enhancement public health protection economic development natural resource management collaborative watershed efforts California Environmental Protection Agency Resources Agency grants and assistance federal Clean Water Act watershed planning nonregulatory improvement methods
Section § 5808.2
This section supports the idea that working together at the local level in voluntary partnerships can help improve watersheds, which are areas that drain into a river, lake, or other body of water. This is in addition to existing federal and state laws related to water protection. These partnerships involve local governments, community groups, and other interested parties, focusing on effective improvements.
Local and regional efforts are considered efficient ways to manage and restore watersheds. The law encourages flexible and goal-oriented approaches that align with existing water protection laws and offers state support, like training and advice, to help these partnerships meet their objectives. It's about empowering communities to take part in protecting and managing their water resources more effectively.
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.2(a) In addition to the statutory and regulatory policies and programs established pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.), Division 20.4 (commencing with Section 30901) and Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600) of Division 5, Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) and Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code, and other statutes and regulations affecting watershed planning and protection, voluntary local collaborative partnerships that assist in improving the condition of the watershed as expeditiously as possible are in the state’s interest in terms of effectiveness, citizen involvement, and community responsibility.
(b)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.2(b) The use of local and regional watershed level planning and management can be an efficient and effective mechanism to improve the condition of the watershed.
(c)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.2(c) To the extent consistent with the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.), Division 20.4 (commencing with Section 30901) and Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600) of Division 5, Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) and Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code, and other statutes and regulations affecting watershed planning and protection, the memorandum of understanding required under Section 30946, guidelines adopted by state agencies for use by local watershed partnerships shall provide flexible mechanisms to achieve quantifiable, and monitored watershed objectives.
(d)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.2(d) In addition to the statutory and regulatory policies and programs established pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.), Division 20.4 (commencing with Section 30901) and Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600) of Division 5, Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) and Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code, and other statutes and regulations affecting watershed planning and protection, local governments, special districts, and other interested parties may participate in local watershed partnerships in order to ensure efficient, long-lasting, and effective watershed restoration and management and to improve the watershed.
(e)CA Public Resources Code § 5808.2(e) To the extent funds that are available for the purposes in subdivision (d), state agencies with jurisdiction over watershed planning and protection may provide technical assistance to watershed management partnerships through training, advice, and manuals describing assessments, plans, and monitoring activities that are consistent with watershed protection laws and regulations.
watershed protection local collaborative partnerships Clean Water Act watershed improvement local government involvement community responsibility watershed management technical assistance regional planning voluntary partnerships state agency support watershed restoration quantifiable objectives flexible mechanisms monitoring activities
