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<br />Bulletin 160-98 Public Review Draft <br /> <br />003J82 <br /> <br />Appendix 2A. Institutional Framework for Allocating <br />and Managing Water Resources in California <br /> <br />authorized to use appropriations from the fund to carry out the environmental restoration <br /> <br /> <br />measures required by the act. Payments are capped at $6 per acre-foot for agricultural water <br /> <br />contractors and $12 per acre- foot for municipal and industrial water contractors (all amounts are <br /> <br /> <br />in 1992 dollars). (An additional restoration payment is assessed against contractors in the Friant <br /> <br /> <br />Division, in lieu oftequiring Friant Dam releases for instream flows in the San Joaquin River <br /> <br /> <br />between Gravelly Ford and the Mendota Pool.) <br /> <br />Regional and Local Water Projects <br /> <br /> <br />In general, there are two methods in the State of California for forming special districts <br /> <br />which are concerned directly or incidentally with the development, control or distribution of <br /> <br /> <br />water: (I) by enactment of a general act under which the districts may be formed in accordance <br /> <br />with a procedure set forth in the act, and (2) by a special act creating the district and prescribing <br /> <br /> <br />its powers. There are more than 40 different statutes under which local agencies may be <br /> <br />organized and have, among their powers, the authority to distribute water. In addition, there are a <br /> <br />number of special act districts, such as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. <br /> <br />DWR Bulletin 155-94, General Comparison o/Water District Acts (March 1994), presents a <br /> <br />comparison of various water district acts in California. <br /> <br /> <br />In addition to public agencies, there are other entities that may provide water supply. <br /> <br /> <br />Mutual water companies, for example, are private corporations that perform water supply and <br /> <br />distribution functions similar to public water districts. Investor-owned utilities may also be <br /> <br /> <br />involved in water supply activities, sometimes as an adjunct of hydroelectric power development. <br /> <br />Water Use Efficiency <br /> <br />Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution prohibits the waste, unreasonable use, <br /> <br /> <br />unreasonable method of use, or unreasonable method of diversion of water. It also declares that <br /> <br /> <br />the conservation and use of water "shall be exercised with a view to the reasonable and beneficial <br /> <br /> <br />use thereof in the public interest and for the public welfare." Although provisions and <br /> <br /> <br />requirements of the Constitution are self executing, the Constitution states that the Legislature <br /> <br />may enact statutes to advance its policy. Water Code Section 275 directs DWR and the SWRCB <br /> <br /> <br />to "take all appropriate proceedings or actions before executive, legislative, or judicial agencies <br /> <br />to prevent waste or unreasonable use of water." SWRCB's Water Right Decision 1600, directing <br /> <br /> <br />the Imperial Irrigation District to adopt a water conservation plan, is an example of an action <br /> <br />2A-20 <br /> <br />I' <br />~ <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />i <br />I <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br />