Dams: exceptions.

Assembly Member Soria's proposal to modify California's dam regulations would exempt nine specific agricultural weirs from Department of Water Resources (DWR) oversight by revising the legal definition of what constitutes a dam. The legislation amends the Water Code to exclude barriers that do not impound water above levee height and maintain at least three feet of freeboard.

The exemption applies exclusively to nine structures: 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. To qualify for the exemption, these structures must meet the bill's definition of a weir - an agricultural water delivery structure with removable flashboards or gates that regulates stream flow as part of the federal flood control system. This adds to existing exemptions for barriers under six feet tall or with storage capacity below 15 acre-feet.

The change would remove these nine weirs from DWR's mandate to supervise construction, maintenance, repair and operation of dams and reservoirs. While no longer subject to dam safety regulations, the structures must still maintain minimum freeboard requirements and continue functioning within the federal flood control framework.