ARTICLE 2.5. Flood Protection Corridor Program [79035. - 79044.9.]

Cal. Water Code - WAT 2.5.
in effect

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79035. Section 79035.

(a) There is hereby created in the account the Flood Protection Corridor Subaccount. (b) For the purposes of this article, “subaccount” means the Flood Protection Corridor Subaccount created by subdivision (a).

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79036. Section 79036.

The sum of seventy million dollars ($70,000,000) is hereby transferred from the account to the subaccount for the purposes of implementing this article.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79037. Section 79037.

(a) The money in the subaccount, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the department, may be used by the department for flood control projects through direct expenditure for the acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and protection of real property for the purposes of flood control protection, agricultural land preservation, and wildlife habitat protection, and for grants to local public agencies or nonprofit organizations for these purposes, and for related administrative costs. (b) The money in the subaccount, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be used for the protection, creation, and enhancement of flood protection corridors through all of the following actions: (1) Acquiring easements and other interests in real property from willing sellers to protect or enhance flood protection corridors and floodplains while preserving or enhancing the agricultural use of the real property. (2) Setting back existing flood control levees and, in conjunction with undertaking those setbacks, strengthening or modifying existing levees. (3) Acquiring interests in real property from willing sellers located in a floodplain that cannot reasonably be made safe from future flooding. (4) Acquiring easements and other interests in real property from willing sellers to protect or enhance flood protection corridors while preserving or enhancing the wildlife value of the real property.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79038. Section 79038.

(a) For the purposes of this article, the department shall give highest priority to projects that include either of the following: (1) Projects that have been assigned high priority for completion by the department for flood protection purposes and by the Department of Conservation for purposes of preserving agricultural land in accordance with the Agricultural Land Stewardship Program Act of 1995 (Division 10.2 (commencing with Section 10200) of the Public Resources Code). (2) Projects that have been assigned high priority for completion by the department for flood protection purposes and by the Department of Fish and Game for wildlife habitat protection or restoration purposes. (b) For restoration, enhancement, and protection projects, the services of the California Conservation Corps or community conservation corps shall be used whenever feasible.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79039. Section 79039.

(a) In order to ensure that property acquired under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 79037 remains on the county tax rolls and in agricultural use to the greatest extent practicable, the acquisition of easements shall be the preferred method of acquiring property interests under that paragraph unless the acquisition of a fee interest is required for management purposes or the landowner will only consider the sale of a fee interest in the land. No acquisition of a fee interest shall be undertaken under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 79037 until all practical alternatives have been considered by the department. (b) Any proceeds received from the disposal of a fee interest acquired under this article shall be deposited into the subaccount.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79041. Section 79041.

Prior to acquiring an easement or other interest in land pursuant to this article, the project shall include a plan to minimize the impact on adjacent landowners. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the impact on floodwaters, the structural integrity of affected levees, diversion facilities, customary agricultural husbandry practices, and timber extraction operations, and an evaluation with regard to the maintenance required of any facilities that are proposed to be constructed or altered.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79042. Section 79042.

Prior to acquiring an easement or other interest in land pursuant to this article, a public hearing in the local community shall be held. Notification shall be given to the county board of supervisors of the affected county, adjacent landowners, affected water districts, local municipalities, and other interested parties, as determined by the department.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79043. Section 79043.

Money in the subaccount may be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to repair breaches in the flood control system developed pursuant to this article or caused by the development of an easement program financed through this section and to repair water diversion facilities or flood control facilities damaged by a project developed pursuant to this section or financed pursuant to this section.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79044. Section 79044.

(a) (1) In expending grant money pursuant to this article to acquire an interest in any particular parcel of land, a local public agency or nonprofit organization may use the money to establish a trust fund in the amount of not more than 20 percent of the amount of money paid for the acquisition. Interest from the trust fund shall be used only to maintain the lands that are acquired pursuant to this chapter. (2) A local public agency or nonprofit organization that acquires land with money from the subaccount and transfers the land to another public agency or nonprofit organization shall also transfer the ownership of the trust fund that was established to maintain that land. (b) If the local public agency or nonprofit organization does not establish a trust fund pursuant to subdivision (a), it shall certify to the department that it can maintain the land to be acquired from funds otherwise available to the agency or organization. (c) This section does not apply to state agencies.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79044.5. Section 79044.5.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to address the problem of soaring federal flood insurance rates by assisting local governments to meet technical requirements for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program and the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, of the funds transferred pursuant to Section 79036, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the department, as follows: (1) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to educate and provide technical assistance to cities and counties regarding the National Flood Insurance Program and the enrollment process. (2) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to educate and provide technical assistance to cities and counties currently enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program with regard to the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System and the implementation of activities creditable under that system.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79044.6. Section 79044.6.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in the subaccount, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the department, shall be allocated by the department to the City of Santee for the purposes of flood protection for streets and highways.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 79044.7. Section 79044.7.

Not more than 5 percent of the total amount deposited in the subaccount may be used to pay costs incurred in connection with the administration of this article.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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