Integrated regional water management plans: grant funding: upper watershed health.

Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and adopt an integrated regional water management plan with specified components relating to water supply and water quality. Existing law provides that an integrated regional water management plan is eligible for funding allocated specifically for implementation of integrated regional water management. Existing law requires certain state agencies to include in any set of criteria used to select projects and programs for funding, a criterion that provides a preference for regional projects or programs. This bill would require the department to include in any criteria used to select a project or program for grant funding authorized on or after January 1, 2020 a criterion that provides a preference for a regional water management group undertaking a project improving upper watershed health upstream and outside of the defined geographical area covered by the group's plan. The bill, if consistent with a general obligation bond act providing grant funding authorized on or after January 1, 2020, would require a group to contribute a lower amount of matching funds as a local cost share for a project that improves upper watershed health upstream and outside of the defined geographical area covered by the group's plan.