Water rights: water management.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law allows a person who has an urgent need to divert and use water to apply for, and the board to issue, a temporary permit, as prescribed. Existing law requires an applicant to pay an application fee and a permit fee, if a temporary permit is issued, both computed as specified. Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. Existing law requires a groundwater sustainability plan to be developed and implemented to meet the sustainability goal, established as prescribed. This bill would authorize a groundwater sustainability agency or local agency to apply for, and the board to issue, a conditional temporary permit for diversion of surface water to underground storage for beneficial use that advances the sustainability goal of a groundwater basin, as specified. Existing law allows a permittee or licensee who has an urgent need to change a point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use to petition for, and the board to issue, a temporary change order, subject to certain restrictions. This bill would authorize a groundwater sustainability agency or local agency to petition for, and the board to issue, a conditional temporary change order that authorizes the diversion of surface water to underground storage for beneficial use that advances the sustainability goal of a groundwater basin, as specified. The bill would require the board to post on its internet website, by December 31, 2024, certain information, as specified, regarding the effectiveness of the temporary permitting and change petition provisions enacted by this bill.