Department of Water Resources: dams and reservoirs: fees and penalty plus interest.

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to supervise the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, and removal of dams and reservoirs for the protection of life and property. Existing law prohibits commencing construction of any new dam or reservoir or the enlargement of any dam or reservoir until the owner has applied for and obtained written approval of plans and specifications from the department. Existing law also requires the department to adopt, by regulation, a schedule of fees to cover the department's reasonable regulatory costs in carrying out the supervision of dam safety, which may include, but is not limited to, the costs of reviewing an inundation map, the amounts necessary to repay budgetary loans, and a prudent reserve. Existing law requires that a penalty plus interest, as set forth in existing law, be imposed for fees received after July 1 in any year. This bill would instead authorize that a penalty plus interest may be imposed for fees received more than 30 days after the July 1 required date of payment in any year.