This part shall be known and may be cited as the Agricultural Water Conservation and Management Act of 1992.
Part 2.1AGRICULTURAL WATER CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1992
Section § 10520
This section establishes the title of the law, which is the Agricultural Water Conservation and Management Act of 1992. It indicates what the law will be referred to as.
Agricultural water conservation 1992 Act Water management Agriculture Conservation Water use Title of Act Legislation naming Water resource management Agricultural practices Water efficiency California agriculture Water policy Irrigation management Sustainable agriculture
Section § 10521
This section defines key terms related to water use and conservation in California.
'Water conservation' refers to methods of reducing water consumption or loss by using better technology or methods for handling water.
'Efficient water management' involves economically sensible programs aimed at improving how water is delivered and used in agriculture, which should result in conservation.
A 'water supplier' is any department or public agency that provides water for agricultural purposes.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions govern the construction of this part:
(a)CA Water Code § 10521(a) “Water conservation” means the reduction of the amount of water consumed or irretrievably lost in the process of satisfying beneficial uses which can be achieved either by improving the technology or the method for diverting, transporting, applying, reusing, salvaging, or recovering water, or by implementing other conservation methods.
(b)CA Water Code § 10521(b) “Efficient water management” means reasonable and economically justifiable programs to improve the delivery and use of water for agricultural purposes that will result in water conservation.
(c)CA Water Code § 10521(c) “Water supplier” means the department or other public agency that supplies water for agricultural use.
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Section § 10522
This section allows water suppliers, either alone or with others, to start programs for conserving and efficiently managing water. They can offer services like advising on irrigation, sharing crop water use data, and enhancing on-farm water systems. They may also improve physical structures like ditches and canals or pipelines, and help farmers install efficient equipment. Additionally, suppliers can adopt flexible water contracts, create water-saving pricing, assist with irrigation scheduling, and develop educational programs. Encouraging the joint use of groundwater and surface water, and promoting voluntary water exchanges to address shortages are also encouraged.
A water supplier, individually or in cooperation with other public agencies or persons, may institute a water conservation or efficient water management program, including, but not limited to, all of the following components:
(a)CA Water Code § 10522(a) Providing irrigation and other water use management services to persons served by the water supplier, including, but not limited to, all of the following services:
(1)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(1) Providing information on historic and current crop water use data for crops grown in the area served by the water supplier, including evapotranspiration and leaching requirements of those crops.
(2)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(2) Providing irrigation consulting services to monitor on-farm water use practices and to provide information to improve on-farm water management.
(3)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(3) Monitoring salinity to obtain favorable salt balances.
(4)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(4) Recommending more efficient techniques for preplanting irrigation of the crop root zone.
(5)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(5) Providing evaluations of the operation and efficiency of individual on-farm irrigation systems and animal sanitation systems and similar uses, and making recommendations for improvement of those systems.
(6)CA Water Code § 10522(a)(6) Providing irrigation management improvement services during the growing season.
(b)CA Water Code § 10522(b) Making physical and structural improvements to the water supplier’s delivery system, and aiding in the improvement of on-farm systems, including, but not limited to, all of the following improvements:
(1)CA Water Code § 10522(b)(1) Using flow measuring devices in the delivery system and providing to farmers, or assisting farmers in the use of, on-farm flow measurement devices.
(2)CA Water Code § 10522(b)(2) Lining ditches and canals or providing pipelines in the supplier’s delivery system and helping farmers to take these actions, except where seepage is desirable for groundwater recharge or environmental purposes.
(3)CA Water Code § 10522(b)(3) Evaluating the storage, conveyance, and drainage systems of the water supplier and the farmers served by the water supplier and the application systems of the farmers served by the water supplier to maximize efficient water management.
(4)CA Water Code § 10522(b)(4) Assisting farmers technically and financially with installation and operation of on-farm conservation equipment if the installation and operation is economically feasible for the water supplier.
(c)CA Water Code § 10522(c) Making institutional and operational adjustments, including, but not limited to, all of the following adjustments:
(1)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(1) Allowing changes or flexibility in the water contract year to more closely fit water-use characteristics of the crops being grown.
(2)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(2) Establishing a pricing structure for water delivered to encourage conservation.
(3)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(3) Maximizing flexibility, to the extent economically and otherwise feasible, in water delivery to farmers to enable them to optimize their irrigation efficiency.
(4)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(4) Developing education programs for farmers relating to on-farm conservation.
(5)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(5) Promoting or developing conjunctive use programs for use of groundwater and surface water.
(6)CA Water Code § 10522(c)(6) Encouraging voluntary exchanges of water between water suppliers which have surplus water and suppliers which have a water shortage.
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Section § 10523
This section allows water suppliers to consider a wide range of factors when creating programs for water conservation or efficient water management. They can assess how these programs impact areas like agricultural productivity, water quality, environmental values such as fish and wildlife, recreational uses, drainage systems, salt balance, and groundwater overdrafting. Additionally, they should consider the effects on energy use, farming costs, and water supply to others.
In formulating a water conservation or efficient water management program, a water supplier may take into account the positive or negative effect of the program, or any of its parts, on other factors, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a)CA Water Code § 10523(a) The productivity of agricultural land served by the water supplier or other lands.
(b)CA Water Code § 10523(b) The quality of groundwater or surface water.
(c)CA Water Code § 10523(c) Fish and wildlife or other environmental values.
(d)CA Water Code § 10523(d) Recreational uses.
(e)CA Water Code § 10523(e) Surface and subsurface drainage discharge.
(f)CA Water Code § 10523(f) The salt balance.
(g)CA Water Code § 10523(g) Groundwater overdrafting.
(h)CA Water Code § 10523(h) Peak and total energy use.
(i)CA Water Code § 10523(i) The cost of water and the economics of farming.
(j)CA Water Code § 10523(j) Water supply to other users.
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