Water rights: appropriation.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. As a prerequisite to the issuance of a permit to appropriate water, existing law requires certain facts to exist, including that there is unappropriated water available to supply the applicant. This bill would require the board to develop and adopt regulations to govern consideration of climate change effects in water availability analyses used in the board's review of applications for water rights permits, including consideration of the effects of climate change, as specified, upon watershed hydrology, as specified. The bill would require the board to consult with the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and qualified hydrologists and climate change scientists, among others, in preparing the regulations. The bill would prohibit the board from refusing to accept or delay processing or approval of an application on the grounds that the regulations have not yet been adopted.