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Measure AB 639
Authors Soria  
Subject Dams: exceptions.
Relating To relating to dams.
Title An act to amend Section 6003 of the Water Code, relating to dams.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-11
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program No
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-11     Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 617, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11     Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-11     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-04     Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2918.).
2025-09-03     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 1. Page 2427.).
2025-09-03     In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-06-24     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-06-23     From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
2025-06-11     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-10     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10).
2025-05-07     Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-04-21     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 1175.)
2025-04-21     In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-04-10     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-09     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 9).
2025-04-01     Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-28     Read second time and amended.
2025-03-27     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (March 25).
2025-02-24     Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-02-14     From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2025-02-13     Read first time. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-11
Enrolled     2025-09-08
Amended Senate     2025-06-11
Amended Assembly     2025-03-28
Introduced     2025-02-13
Last Version Text 
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Soria</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 6003 of the Water Code, relating to dams. </ns0:Title>
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			<html:p>Existing law defines a dam to mean any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works, that does or may impound or divert water, and meets other specified criteria. Existing law excludes from the definition a barrier that is or will be not in excess of 6 feet in height, regardless of storage capacity, or that has or will have a storage capacity not in excess of 15 acre-feet, regardless of height. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to supervise the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, and removal of dams and reservoirs for the protection of life and property.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would additionally exclude from the definition of a dam a barrier that does not impound water above the top of a levee where maximum storage behind the barrier has a minimum of 3 feet of freeboard on the levee and is a
			 weir, as defined, but would apply only to specified weirs named in the bill.</html:p>
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		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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				Section 6003 of the 
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				 is amended to read:
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								(a)
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								Any barrier that is or will be not in excess of six feet in height, regardless of storage capacity, or that has or will have a storage capacity not in excess of 15 acre-feet, regardless of height, shall not be considered a dam.
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								(b)
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								(1)
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								Any barrier that does not impound water above the top of a levee where maximum storage behind the barrier has a minimum of three feet of freeboard on the levee and is a weir  shall not be considered a dam.
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								(2)
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								This subdivision shall apply only to Peoples Weir, Reynolds Weir, Last Chance Weir, Lemoore Diversion Weir, Island Weir, Crescent Weir, Stinson Weir, Empire Weir No. 1, and Empire Weir No. 2.
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								For purposes of this section, a “weir” is defined as an agricultural water delivery structure with either mechanically or manually removable flashboards or gates that serves to regulate the flow of water in a stream and that functions as part of a federal flood control system as defined by Part 208 (commencing with Section 208.10) of Chapter II of Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law defines a dam to mean any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works, that does or may impound or divert water, and meets other specified criteria. Existing law excludes from the definition a barrier that is or will be not in excess of 6 feet in height, regardless of storage capacity, or that has or will have a storage capacity not in excess of 15 acre-feet, regardless of height. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to supervise the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, and removal of dams and reservoirs for the protection of life and property. This bill would additionally exclude from the definition of a dam a barrier that does not impound water above the top of a levee where maximum storage behind the barrier has a minimum of 3 feet of freeboard on the levee and is a weir, as defined, but would apply only to specified weirs named in the bill.