Scott River: Shasta River: watersheds.

Assembly Member Rogers' legislation extends emergency water regulations for the Scott and Shasta River watersheds through January 2031, modifying current requirements that limit such measures to one-year terms. The regulations will remain in effect until either the 2031 deadline or the adoption of permanent rules establishing long-term instream flow requirements, whichever occurs first.

The bill responds to documented declines in salmon populations within these watersheds, which the authors identify as critical habitat areas. The Shasta River, historically home to 80,000 returning adult salmon in 1931, now forms part of the Klamath River Basin that counted 36,568 adult fall Chinook salmon in 2024. The Scott River serves as the largest producer of wild Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon, currently listed as threatened under federal and state endangered species laws.

Under the amended Water Code provisions, violations of the emergency regulations carry fines up to $500 per day. Civil penalties collected through enforcement will be deposited into the Water Rights Fund and reserved specifically for water conservation activities and programs. The bill also maintains existing requirements for water diversion reporting and monitoring while exempting the emergency regulations from Office of Administrative Law review.