Water rights: appropriation: small domestic, small irrigation, and livestock stockpond use.

The Water Rights Permitting Reform Act of 1988 authorizes any person to obtain a right to appropriate water for a small domestic, small irrigation, or livestock stockpond use, as defined, upon registering the use with the State Water Resources Control Board, as prescribed, payment of a registration fee, and application of the water to reasonable and beneficial use with due diligence. Existing law defines "livestock stockpond" to mean a water impoundment structure constructed for livestock watering use not to exceed specified diversion amounts, including impoundment for incidental aesthetic, recreational, or fish and wildlife purposes. This bill would provide that impoundment for incidental fire protection purposes is included within livestock stockpond use. Existing law, with regard to an appropriation for small domestic use, prohibits a registration from being filed if the facility is already served by or used pursuant to a permit or license for domestic or municipal use. This bill would permit a small domestic use registration and a livestock stockpond use registration to be in effect for the same facility if the total combined water use covered by the registrations does not exceed 10 acre-feet per annum. Existing law permits a small domestic use registration and a small irrigation use registration to be in effect for the same facility if the total combined water use covered by the registrations does not exceed 20 acre-feet per annum. This bill would extend this authorization to a livestock stockpond use registration and a small irrigation use registration in effect for the same facility.