The State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board), Division of Water Rights, issued the Dry Year Program Report for the 2014 water year which ended September 30, 2014. The 2014 water year was the third driest in 119 years of record. The report discusses actions taken by the Water Board, and potential administrative changes to the process. Also discussed are potential changes which would require legislative action or additional funding.
The report concludes that the ideal system for administering water rights would include three elements:
- Adjudications or other actions which account for all rights, including riparian and pre-1914, and extinguishes prior unexercised rights for all streams;
- Minimum in-stream flow requirements for all streams; and,
- Real-time management of flows and diversions that accurately tracks water availability and the need for curtailment based on the accounting of water rights, hydrology, and by ensuring that minimum in-stream flows are met.
The report can be accessed here.