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State Water Board is located in the Joe Serna Cal/EPA Building on I Street in Sacramento.

Courtesy of Cal-EPA.

The State Water Resources Control Board has authority in the following areas when issuing water right permits:

• The purpose of use of water (water use must be beneficial, not wasteful).
• The point of diversion.
• The place of use.
• The time of use (e.g., seasons, months).
• Terms and conditions of use (e.g., environmental measures and targets).
• The date by which water should be fully applied to beneficial uses (to ensure diligent use).

The State Water Resources Control Board has powers under the California Water Code to:  

• Review, approve, and issue permits and licenses.
• Issue temporary permits , temporary urgency changes to permits , changes to points of diversion, and purposes of use.
• Issue changes to permits, changes to points of diversion, and purposes of use involved with water transfers.
• Revoke permits under limited circumstances (especially due to failure to carry out the terms of the permit diligently).
• Hold evidentiary hearings where sworn testimony is taken as input into the Board's deliberations.

The California Water Code also requires noticing of water right applications to the public. The State Water Resources Control Board uses web pages and email lists to supply notices to the interested public. You can subscribe to their email notice lists here.

Legal Basis for Protests