# California Constitution/ARTICLE X A

sourced from the State of California's official Constitution webpage: "". Retrieved on 27 December 2008.

## ARTICLE 10A    Water Resources Development
### SECTION 1

The people of the State hereby provide the following guarantees and protections in this article for water rights, water quality, and fish and wildlife resources.

### SEC. 2

No statute amending or repealing, or adding to, the provisions of the statute enacted by Senate Bill No. 200 of the 1979-80 Regular Session of the Legislature which specify (1) the manner in which the State will protect fish and wildlife resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Marsh, and San Francisco Bay system westerly of the delta; (2) the manner in which the State will protect existing water rights in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; and (3) the manner in which the State will operate the State Water Resources Development System to comply with water quality standards and water quality control plans, shall become effective unless approved by the electors in the same manner as statutes amending initiative statutes are approved; except that the Legislature may, by statute passed in each house by roll call vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, amend or repeal, or add to, these provisions if the statute does not in any manner reduce the protection of the delta or fish and wildlife.

### SEC. 3

No water shall be available for appropriation by storage in, or by direct diversion from, any of the components of the California Wild and Scenic Rivers System, as such system exists on January 1, 1981, where such appropriation is for export of water into another major hydrologic basin of the State, as defined in the Department of Water Resources Bulletin 160-74, unless such export is expressly authorized prior to such appropriation by: (a) an initiative statute approved by the electors, or (b) the Legislature, by statute passed in each house by roll call vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring.

### SEC. 4

No statute amending or repealing, or adding to, the provisions of Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 6 of the Water Code (the Delta Protection Act) shall become effective unless approved by the electors in the same manner as statutes amending initiative statutes are approved; except that the Legislature may, by statute passed in each house by roll call vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, amend or repeal, or add to, these provisions if the statute does not in any manner reduce the protection of the delta or fish and wildlife.

### SEC. 5

No public agency may utilize eminent domain proceedings to acquire water rights, which are held for uses within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as defined in Section 12220 of the Water Code, or any contract rights for water or water quality maintenance in the Delta for the purpose of exporting such water from the Delta. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit the utilization of eminent domain proceedings for the purpose of acquiring land or any other rights necessary for the construction of water facilities, including, but not limited to, facilities authorized in Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 12930) of Part 6 of Division 6 of the Water Code.

### SEC. 6

(a) The venue of any of the following actions or proceedings brought in a superior court shall be Sacramento County:
    (1) An action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul any provision of the statute enacted by Senate Bill No. 200 of the 1979-80 Regular Session of the Legislature.
    (2) An action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the determination made by the Director of Water Resources and the Director of Fish and Game pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11255 of the Water Code.
    (3) An action or proceeding which would have the effect of attacking, reviewing, preventing, or substantially delaying the construction, operation, or maintenance of the peripheral canal unit described in subdivision (a) of Section 11255 of the Water Code.
    (4) An action or proceeding to require the State Water Resources Development System to comply with subdivision (b) of Section 11460 of the Water Code.
    (5) An action or proceeding to require the Department of Water Resources or its successor agency to comply with the permanent agreement specified in subdivision (a) of Section 11256 of the Water Code.
    (6) An action or proceeding to require the Department of Water Resources or its successor agency to comply with the provisions of the contracts entered into pursuant to Section 11456 of the Water Code.
(b) An action or proceeding described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall be commenced within one year after the effective date of the statute enacted by Senate Bill No. 200 of the 1979-80 Regular Session of the Legislature. Any other action or proceeding described in subdivision (a) shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action arises unless a shorter period is otherwise provided by statute.
(c) The superior court or a court of appeals shall give preference to the actions or proceedings described in this section over all civil actions or proceedings pending in the court. The superior court shall commence hearing any such action or proceeding within six months after the commencement of the action or proceeding, provided that any such hearing may be delayed by joint stipulation of the parties or at the discretion of the court for good cause shown. The provisions of this section shall supersede any provisions of law requiring courts to give preference to other civil actions or proceedings. The provisions of this subdivision may be enforced by mandamus.
(d) The Supreme Court shall, upon the request of any party, transfer to itself, before a decision in the court of appeal, any appeal or petition for extraordinary relief from an action or proceeding described in this section, unless the Supreme Court determines that the action or proceeding is unlikely to substantially affect (1) the construction, operation, or maintenance of the peripheral canal unit described in subdivision (a) of Section 11255 of the Water Code, (2) compliance with subdivision (b) of Section 11460 of the Water Code, (3) compliance with the permanent agreement specified in Section 11256 of the Water Code, or (4) compliance with the provisions of the contracts entered into pursuant to Section 11456 of the Water Code. The request for transfer shall receive preference on the Supreme Court's calendar. If the action or proceeding is transferred to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court shall commence to hear the matter within six months of the transfer unless the parties by joint stipulation request additional time or the court, for good cause shown, grants additional time.
(e) The remedy prescribed by the court for an action or proceeding described in paragraph (4), (5), or (6) of subdivision (a) shall include, but need not be limited to, compliance with subdivision (b) of Section 11460 of the Water Code, the permanent agreement specified in Section 11256 of the Water Code, or the provisions of the contracts entered into pursuant to Section 11456 of the Water Code.
(f) The Board of Supervisors of the County of Sacramento may apply to the State Board of Control for actual costs imposed by the requirements of this section upon the county, and the State Board of Control shall pay such actual costs.
(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, nothing in this Article shall be construed as prohibiting the Supreme Court from exercising the transfer authority contained in Article VI, Section 12 of the Constitution.

### SEC. 7

State agencies shall exercise their authorized powers in a manner consistent with the protections provided by this article.

### SEC. 8

This article shall have no force or effect unless Senate Bill No. 200 of the 1979-80 Regular Session of the Legislature is enacted and takes effect.