New legislation headed to the governor’s desk will increase daily fines for water rights holders who defy state orders.
In August of 2022, a group of ranchers in Siskiyou County defied a state water order. They pumped water from the drought-plagued Shasta River for eight days. The river provides habitat for salmon, and California was experiencing its driest three-year stretch on record.
According to our friends at CalMatters, state officials levied the maximum fine allowed: $4,000, or roughly $50 per rancher. Now, the new law will double daily fines for water rights holders who commit minor violations across the state.
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan from San Ramon authored the bill. She said the goal of the legislation is quote: “to make sure that we’re all playing by the rules — that we don’t have a tragedy of the commons, where some are taking more and others have none.”
Opposition from farmers and agencies, like the East Bay Municipal Water District, fell away after Bauer-Kahan removed language to expand the state’s overall powers on what’s considered a violation. Businesses and water groups said that would have robbed them of due process.
The bill passed through a final vote late on Friday. The ease of this bill’s passing is notable given the state’s complex system that governs water rights.