CALIFORNIA – The State Water Resources Control Board announced May 27 that it is launching a new and improved system, this summer, to make reporting water rights easier and more efficient.
The state said the California Water Accounting Tracking and Reporting System (CalWATRS) will help the state manage water data better and make it easier for the public to access important information.
CalWATRS early access starts in July
A water right is legal permission to use a reasonable amount of water for a beneficial purpose such as swimming, fishing, farming or industry.
In California, the majority of water right holders fall into a few categories – the agricultural sector, municipal water suppliers, hydroelectric power companies, indigenous tribes, environmental groups, industrial users and private landowners adjacent to rivers or streams.
Water right holders must file annual reports detailing how much water they diverted, when they diverted it and for what purpose.
The board says early access to the new CalWATRS system from July 2025 through September 2025 will give the public a chance to get used to the system before official reporting begins.
Water right holders can start submitting reports to CalWATRS in October 2025.
Water right permit can cost over $30,000
According to the board, if you take water from a lake, river, stream, or creek, or from underground supplies for a beneficial use, the California Water Code requires that you have a water right.
Some may have a water right (such as a riparian or pre-1914 appropriative) even if they do not have a state-issued water right permit.
For those without such rights, the minimum application fee for obtaining a water right permit is currently $1,000.
Other fees that go towards CEQA compliance and fees collected by the Department of Fish and Wildlife can total over $30,000.
The board says a diversion without a water right is illegal, and you may be fined up to $500 per day of diversion and use.
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