State Water Board Drought Year Water Actions - Changes to Water Right Permit and License Conditions

Changes to Water Right Permit and License Conditions

Water rights permits and licenses contain terms and conditions that the holder must comply with when exercising the right. These terms and conditions are specific to the water body and can cover many requirements including, but not limited to, the amount of flow that must be available in the stream system, the timing and release of flows from surface storage, and the temperature of the water. The State Water Board can use its existing authorities to prevent waste and unreasonable use of water and to protect public trust resources to modify the conditions of water rights other than the Delta, so long as the conditions do not implement a Water Quality Control Plan. In December 2013, the State Water Board began receiving requests to temporarily modify a permit or license term or condition as an urgency change under the Water Code. These requests and their status can be viewed in the attached link which is updated regularly: