Watermaster service areas: cost of administration.

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to divide the state into watermaster service areas for the purpose of distributing water in accordance with certain water right determinations. Existing law authorizes the department to incur costs and make expenditures as necessary to provide for the administration of a service area and the distribution of water therein. Existing law requires the water rightholders to pay all of those costs. This bill would, until January 1, 2014, authorize the department to pay up to 50% of watermaster costs, to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose, and require the water rightholders to pay the remainder of watermaster costs. This bill would also make conforming changes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.