Instream flows and municipal uses are made superior to other uses and infringe on existing adjudicated rights. Mandatory conservation measures will not produce results. This bill deals with water but not fish. Reclaimed water is not widely feasible and discharge is needed for stream flow. Others, besides municipalities, should be allowed to use reclaimed water.
Exempt wells are necessary for rural economic development.
They represent only 1 percent of water use in the state. The effect of exempt wells on surface water is not firmly established. No viable alternatives exist to exempt wells in most rural areas. Property rights in water, local control and watershed planning are disappearing and negatively affect agriculture. Shoreline master programs should be updated only where there is an effect on fish, given the substantial effort and money involved.