Mediation Over Water Rights

Butte County Area-of-Origin Water Rights Case Proceeds in Court

Chico Enterprise Record
July 10, 2011

Butte County joined forces with Solano County Water Agency (the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and the city of Yuba City) to bring a claim against the Department of Water Resources over area-of-origin water rights in Sacramento Superior Court. The dispute was in mediation last week and another round is set for next week.

The dispute is centered around 1963 rules that were created when Oroville Dam was built when area-of-origin water rights were acknowledged for areas around the watershed and contracts were approved with Butte County with 27,500 acre-feet of water that flows through the dam. “The state does not contest that this water is set aside for the county. However, the position of DWR is that Butte County can be subject to cutbacks if water is in short supply.”

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