Indian Valley Watermaster District.

Existing law provides for the establishment of watermaster service areas by the Department of Water Resources for the purposes of ensuring the most practical and economic supervision of the distribution of water. Existing law specifies that upon the submission of a specified petition to a court in which a relevant judicial decree has been entered, the court may appoint a public agency as a watermaster to replace the watermaster appointed by the department. This bill would create a watermaster district to be known as the Indian Valley Watermaster District. The bill would generally specify the powers and purposes, as well as the boundaries, of the district. The bill would prescribe the composition of the board of directors of the district. The bill would require the district to provide watermaster service on behalf of water right holders whose place of use under an appointed decree, as defined, is a parcel of real property within the district. The bill would authorize the district to enter into an agreement to provide watermaster service to water right holders whose place of use is an eligible parcel, as defined. The bill would require the board of directors of the district to provide for the preparation of regular audits of the district's accounts and records and specified annual financial reports. By imposing duties on the district and Plumas County in connection with the operation of the district, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.