The California State Water Resources Control Board Approves Emergency Regulations for Water Right Curtailment Orders in Scott and Shasta Rivers
September 2021
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 31, Number 11
On August 17, 2021, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) approved Emergency Regulations for the Establishment of Minimum Instream Flow Requirements, Curtailment Authority, and Information Order Authority in the Klamath Watershed (Emergency Regulations), authorizing curtailments of water rights on the Scott and Shasta rivers in Siskiyou County, to meet minimum instream flows for fish while allowing for necessary livestock watering and minimum human health and safety needs. The Emergency Regulations are part of the state’s ongoing efforts to address one of California’s worst droughts on record. Along with establishing minimum stream flow requirements for fish and setting forth State Water Board enforcement authority, the Emergency Regulations also provide opportunities for local cooperative solutions and voluntary efforts that may reduce the need for direct curtailment orders.
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