Water Use Reports and Measurement

Annual Water Use Reporting Requirements for Water Right Holders

If you divert and use water from a surface water source such as a lake, creek, stream, or river, OR you divert water from a subterranean stream that flows in a known and definite channel, California law requires you to report your diversion and use to the State Water Board, Division of Water Rights. Water use reports shall be filed on an annual basis and shall document diversions made during the prior calendar year. The filing dates for the annual water use reports are summarized below:

Water Right Type Water Use Report Deadline
Permit
License
Registration
Certificate
Statement of Water Diversion and Use
Groundwater Recordation 		April 1

Note: Water use reporting requirements do not apply to individuals who receive all of their water through a municipal water system, such as a city public works system. Nor do they apply to individuals whose entire water diversions are delivered through a public or private water agency. In these cases, the city, agency, or entity that delivers the water to you files the reports with the State Water Board.

Measurement Update Email (12/18/2017)

If you need assistance from a water right attorney or consultant, the Division of Water Rights maintains a list of Business Information Contacts.

How Do I Report My Water Use?

ON-LINE REPORTING

When you are ready to file your water use report,
please visit the
Report Management System Webpage

For additional information on how to file your water use reports,
please visit the
eWRIMS Online Reporting Webpage.

On-line reporting is required for all water use reports. The Report Management System (RMS) is used by water right holders to submit the reports required as a result of their diversion and use of water. Six types of water use reports are currently supported by RMS:

Report Management System (RMS) tutorial videos can be found here:
RMS Tutorial Videos

Measurement

All water right holders who have previously diverted or intend to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year (riparian and pre-1914 claims), or are authorized to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year under a permit, license, or registration, are required to measure the water they divert. The implementation of improved measurement and reporting of water rights will improve water right administration and transparency of diversion records allowing the Board and all water users to more efficiently manage and use available water supplies while also protecting public trust resources. Detailed information on the regulatory requirements for measurement and reporting is available on the Reporting and Measurement Regulation webpage.

The measurement and monitoring requirements are summarized in the following table:

Type of Diversion
(af = acre-feet)		 Installation Deadline Required Accuracy
(Device Installed On/Before 1/1/2016)		 Required Accuracy
(Device Installed After 1/1/2016)		 Required Monitoring
Frequency		 Qualifications For Installation
And Certification
Direct Diversion
>= 1,000 af/year
or
Storage >= 1,000 af		 January 1, 2017 15% 10% Hourly Engineer/Contractor/Professional/Passed AB 589 Measurement Class
Direct Diversion
>= 100 af/year
or
Storage >= 200 af		 July 1, 2017 15% 10% Daily Engineer/Contractor/Professional/Passed AB 589 Measurement Class
Storage >= 100 af July 1, 2017 15% 15% Weekly Engineer/Contractor/Professional/Passed AB 589 Measurement Class
Direct Diversion
> 10 af/year
or
Storage >= 50 af		 January 1, 2018 15% 15% Weekly Individual experienced with
measurement and monitoring
Storage > 10 af January 1, 2018 15% 15% Monthly Individual experienced with
measurement and monitoring

Important measurement regulation deadlines are summarized in the following table:

Type of Diversion
(DD = direct diversion)
(af = acre-feet) 		Deadline for Installing
Device or Implementing
Measurement Method		 Deadline for Filing:
(1) Measurement Method
(2) Request for Additional Time
(3) Alternative Compliance Plan 		Deadline for Filing Report of
Measuring Device*
DD >= 1,000 af/year
or
Storage >= 1,000 af 		January 1, 2017 Permits & Licenses: April 1, 2017
Statements: July 1, 2017		 Permits & Licenses: April 1, 2017
Statements: July 1, 2017
DD >= 100 af/year
or
Storage >= 100 af		 July 1, 2017 July 1, 2017 Permits & Licenses: April 1, 2018
Statements: July 1, 2018
DD > 10 af/year
or
Storage > 10 af		 January 1, 2018 January 1, 2018 Permits & Licenses: April 1, 2018
Statements: July 1, 2018

* Note: The Report of Measuring Device has been incorporated into the annual Water Diversion and Use Report. Information on each measurement device may be filed with a new or amended Water Diversion and Use Report.

AB 589 Measurement Classes

Assembly Bill 589 allows surface water diverters who have completed a course on measurement devices and methods administered by the University of California Cooperative Extension to be considered a “Qualified Individual” for their diversions, in lieu of the Engineer/Contractor/Professional requirement. Individuals who take the measurement class may install and maintain measuring devices or implement measurement methods and alternative compliance plans for their diversions only. The individual can be a water right owner, tenant, or employee of the owner or tenant.

A list of upcoming classes and registration information are available on the University of California Cooperative Extension Assembly Bill 589 Training Classes website, located at:

http://ucanr.edu/sites/AB589/

Measuring Devices

A diverter may choose any measuring device, or combination of devices, that meet the measurement and monitoring requirements of the regulation. Additional information on measuring devices may be found on the following webpages:

Compliance with the requirement to certify the accuracy of measurement devices is done on the annual water use reports. Use the click box titled “Provide measurement device information/certification.”

Measurement Methods

In lieu of a measuring device, a diverter may propose a measurement method to comply with measurement and accuracy requirements under the regulation.

Measurement Methods must be submitted on the Water Board's Water Right Form and Survey Submittal Portal.

  • A measurement method is a method capable of accounting for the rate of diversion where the method is likely to achieve accuracy standards comparable to those of individual measuring devices.
  • The regulation is flexible in the types of measurement methods water users may submit as long as the measurement method meets the regulation’s accuracy standards for measurement. Water diverters are encouraged to establish collaborative measurement on a local or regional basis.

Examples of measurement methods include:

  • Multiple water right holders on a single surface supply can propose a collaborative measurement approach.
  • A single water right holder with multiple points of diversion can propose a measurement method that may preclude the need to install a measurement device at each point of diversion.

Alternative Compliance

A water right holder may request an alternative compliance approach when strict compliance is not feasible, would be unreasonable expensive, would unreasonable affect public trust resources, or would result in the waste or unreasonable use of water.

Alternative compliance plans must be submitted on the Water Board's Water Right Form and Survey Submittal Portal.

Alternative compliance plans shall describe how the diverter will attain reasonable compliance with the measurement requirements of the regulation and be accompanied by detailed documentation establishing and supporting the specific basis for requesting the alternative.

Alternative compliance plans may be considered for a variety of issues, including measurement and monitoring of small hydropower projects, points of diversion that are inaccessible for portions of the year due to snow, points of diversion with highly variable flow rates, points of diversion under tidal influence, and locations with concerns for vandalism or theft.

Alternative compliance plans are subject to audit by the Deputy Director, and are posted on the Alternative Compliance Plans page with the opportunity for public comment. This page will be updated periodically as additional submittals are received.

Requests For Additional Time

A diverter may submit a Request for Additional Time to comply with the measurement and monitoring requirements, contingent upon the diverter's ability to demonstrate one of the following:

  1. Financial considerations shall be considered only in cases where the diverter has requested agency funding, and is awaiting grant or loan award.
  2. Extensions based on other considerations are limited to:
    1. minimum time needed to access site due to weather conditions; or
    2. minimum time needed to obtain other agency permits; or
    3. minimum time needed to comply with construction time periods set in other agency permits; or
    4. unforeseen circumstances.

Requests for Additional Time must be submitted on the Water Board's Water Right Form and Survey Submittal Portal.

Sample Forms

The sample forms below are being provided to allow diverters to prepare and organize the information. They will need to complete the forms online on the Water Board’s Water Right Form and Survey Submittal Portal.

Cost of Measurement and Monitoring

The cost of measuring and monitoring water use is case specific and can vary widely based on the requirements of each specific situation. The cost of compliance will also depend on whether a diverter can use an existing device or needs to install a new one and on the cost of installation by a qualified individual.

Additional information on the estimated costs of measurement and possible options for financial assistance may be found on the following webpages:

Information Fair On Water Right Measurement And Reporting

The State Water Resources Control Board is hosted an information fair on water right measurement and reporting on August 22nd in Sacramento to facilitate better understanding of (and compliance with) measurement and reporting requirements recently adopted by the Board. The purpose of the information fair was to bring together water right holders, vendors, and other professionals employed in the water measurement industry to discuss ways to reasonably and practically measure diversions of water in compliance with the new requirements.

State Water Board staff made the following presentations during the information fair:

Contact Information - Reporting and Measurement

Please contact the Division of Water Rights if you have any comments or questions regarding water use reporting or measurement.

Division of Water Rights:
Phone Number: (916) 341-5300
Email Addresses:

Reporting: ewrims@waterboards.ca.gov
Measurement: dwr-measurement@waterboards.ca.gov