Water rights: administrative procedures.

(1) Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to hold any hearings and conduct any investigations in any part of the state necessary to carry out its powers. Existing law authorizes a hearing or investigation to be conducted by any member of the board upon authorization of the board, with a specified exception. This bill would additionally authorize the board to employ administrative law judges meeting specified qualifications and to authorize an administrative law judge to conduct hearings and issue decisions and orders relating to the administration of water rights, as specified. The bill would authorize any hearing or investigation of the board to be conducted by an administrative law judge, with a specified exception. (2) Under existing law, the board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water, upon an application to appropriate water. Existing law authorizes an applicant, permittee, or licensee for a right to appropriate water to change the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use of the water from that specified in the application, permit, or license, upon filing a petition with the board and approval of the petition by the board. Existing law establishes various procedures for the submission, processing, and approval of an application to appropriate water and a petition to change the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use of the water in an application, permit, or license. This bill would authorize a person who files an application to appropriate water, a protest to an application to appropriate water, a petition to change the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use of the water in an application, permit, or license, or a protest to a petition, to appeal specified determinations for review by a member of the board or an administrative law judge before the board takes final action on the application or petition.