Bulletin 160-93, The California Water Plan Update, October 1994

Water Transfer Criteria

In his water policy statement of April 6, 1992, the Governor stated that the following five criteria must be met in developing a fair and effective water transfer policy.

• Water transfers must be voluntary, and they must result in transfers that are real, not paper water. Above all, water rights of sellers must not be impaired.
• Water transfers must not harm fish and wildlife resources or their habitats.
• There needs to be assurances that transfers will not cause overdraft or degradation of ground water basins.
• Entities receiving transferred water should be required to show that they are making efficient use of existing water supplies, including carrying out urban Best Management Practices or agricultural Efficient Water Management Practices.
• Water districts and agencies that hold water rights or contracts to transferred water should have a strong role in deciding how transfers are carried out. Impacts on the fiscal integrity of the districts and on the economies of small agricultural communities must be considered.

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