The bill will prevent violators from getting off with minimal fines and continued violations.
Anyone violating California’s water diversion laws is in for a sharp wake-up call. Violators will no longer be subject to minimal penalties but will face stiffer ones.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 460 in late August, and the Valley AG Voice noted Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law at the end of September. The bill increases fines for violations and helps the State Water Resources Control Board enforce the penalties for curtailing water use.
The bill will prevent violators from getting off with minimal fines and continued violations. For example, in 2022, Shasta River Water Association farmers and ranchers diverted more than half of the Shasta River’s flow, defying protections for salmon. It threatened the salmon and also affected water supplies downstream for users, per the Times…