Title WAT, California Water Code

All records of the district shall be open to public inspection during the hours when the office of the district is open to the public. (Added by Stats. 1943, Ch. 372.)

A district may destroy a record pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 60200) of Division 1 of Title 6 of the Government Code. (Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 158, Sec. 37. Effective January 1, 2006.)

The board shall adopt a seal for the district. (Added by renumbering Section 21403 by Stats. 1955, Ch. 610.)

The board of a district in existence on the effective date of this section shall file a certificate with the Secretary of State on or before January 1, 1964, listing: (a) The name of the district. (b) The date of formation. (c) The county or counties in which the district is loca…

After an order determining the amount of bonds which should be issued, the board shall call a bond election to submit to the voters a proposal of whether or not bonds in the amount determined in the order should be authorized when either: (a) The board so determines. (b) The boar…

Notice of a bond election shall be given by publication of the notice, in some newspaper published in the office county, once a week for at least three successive weeks. (Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 667.)

Notice of a bond election shall specify: (a) The day, hours, and polling places in each precinct for holding the election. (b) The amount of bonds proposed to be issued. (Added by Stats. 1943, Ch. 372.)

At a bond election several proposals as to the issuance of bonds may be submitted separately on the same ballot if: (a) Estimates of the cost of the respective projects have been made. (b) The commission has reported thereon. (c) The respective proposals have been stated in the n…

The ballots shall contain a general statement of the proposals to be voted on, including the amount of bonds proposed to be issued for each purpose, but an informality in the statement shall not vitiate the election. To the right of or below each proposal, the words “Yes” and “No…

Bond election ballots shall include instructions to voters that are consistent with the requirements of Section 13204 of the Elections Code. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 303, Sec. 40. (AB 1512) Effective January 1, 2026.)

The voters shall vote for or against any proposal at a bond election by completely selecting the voting target next to either “Yes” or “No,” respectively. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 303, Sec. 41. (AB 1512) Effective January 1, 2026.)

Bond elections shall be held and the result determined and declared as nearly as practicable in conformity with general district elections. (Amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 2019.)

The issuance of bonds is authorized when, at a bond election, any of the following occurs: (a) Two-thirds of the votes cast on the proposal are “yes.” (b) A majority of the votes cast on the proposal are “yes” when the election was called pursuant to a petition sufficient to requ…

If the number of votes for any bond proposal is less than the number required to authorize the issuance of the bonds, the result of the vote shall be entered of record. The proposal may be again submitted at a bond election upon the presentation to the board of a petition for the…

No informalities in the conduct of the election shall invalidate the election if fairly conducted. (Added by Stats. 1943, Ch. 372.)

At any time prior to incurring any indebtedness or obligation, or upon the full payment of all indebtedness or obligations of a distribution district a petition, signed and acknowledged by not less than the number of owners of land constituting the distribution district required …

A hearing on dissolution shall be had in the same manner and after the same notice as is required for the formation of a distribution district. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 169.)

The board may, after the hearing, order the distribution district dissolved. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 169.)

The order of dissolution shall be recorded in the same manner as the order forming the distribution district. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 169.)

Subject to the limitations of this chapter, revenue bonds, including refunding revenue bonds, may be issued by an irrigation district under and pursuant to the Revenue Bond Law of 1941, Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 54300) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government…

This chapter provides an alternative authority and procedure for the subject to which it relates but does not affect any other law relating to the same or a similar subject. When proceeding under this chapter, its provisions only need be followed. (Added by Stats. 1957, Ch. 2089.…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term “enterprise,” as used in the Revenue Bond Law of 1941 (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 54300) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code), shall be limited to and shall include only those works or property authorized to…

In rendering its decree for the determination of rights to water, whether in suits referred to the board under the provisions of Chapter 1 of this part or in adjudications under the provisions of Chapter 3 of this part, the court may provide that the board or any party affected b…

If it determines that an election should be held, the board of supervisors shall call and give notice of the election to be held in the proposed district for the purpose of determining whether or not it shall be formed. (Amended by Stats. 1961, Ch. 1343.)

The election shall be held on the next established election date not less than 74 days from the date of the final hearing on the formation petition. (Amended by Stats. 1973, Ch. 1146.)

The notice of the formation election shall contain: (a) The date of the election. (b) A description of the boundaries of the proposed district. (c) The name of the proposed district, which name shall contain the words “County Water District.” (d) A statement that the first direct…

The county clerk shall publish the notice once a week for at least two weeks prior to the formation election in at least one, but not to exceed three, newspapers printed and published in the county. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 274.)

Within five days after the district formation election has been called, the legislative body which has called the election shall transmit, by registered mail, a written notification of the election call to the executive officer of the local agency formation commission of the coun…

The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board authorized by the board, or any individual voter or bona fide association of citizens entitled to vote on the district formation proposition, or any combination of such voters and associations of citizens, may file a …

If more than one argument for or more than one argument against the proposed district formation is filed with the election officials within the time prescribed, such election officials shall select one of the arguments for printing and distribution to the voters. In selecting the…

The officials in charge of conducting the election shall cause a ballot pamphlet concerning the district formation proposition to be voted on to be printed and mailed to each voter entitled to vote on the district formation question. The ballot pamphlet shall contain the followin…

At the formation election: (a) The measure “Shall the proposition to form _______ County Water District under the County Water District Law be adopted?” shall be submitted. (b) The first directors for the proposed district shall be elected. (Amended by Stats. 1949, Ch. 284.)

The election thereupon shall be conducted, the vote canvassed, and the result declared in the same manner as provided by law in respect to general water district elections so far as applicable except as in this chapter otherwise provided and except that directors shall be nominat…

The vote shall be canvassed by the board of supervisors at the next regular meeting which is five or more days after the election. (Amended by Stats. 1955, Ch. 747.)

In case less than a majority of the votes cast in each municipal corporation or part thereof or in the unincorporated territory included in the proposed district are in favor of the measure, the formation fails but without prejudice to renewing proceedings at any time in the futu…

Improvement districts may be formed in districts in the same manner as improvement districts are formed in irrigation districts. When formed, such improvement districts shall be governed in the same manner and shall have the same powers as improvement districts in irrigation dist…

The board of directors of a district shall have the same rights, powers, duties and responsibilities with respect to the formation and government of improvement districts in districts as the board of directors of an irrigation district has with respect to improvement districts in…

Assessments in an improvement district in a district shall be levied, collected and enforced at the same time and in as nearly the same manner as practicable as annual taxes for purposes of the district in which formed, except that the assessment shall be made in the same manner …

If an improvement district is formed in the Kings County Water District to encompass all or a portion of the area within the district served by the Lakeside Ditch Company (a mutual water company) for the purpose of acquiring stock of such company, operating the system of such com…

All powers and duties of the district may be exercised on behalf of or within any improvement district formed pursuant to this division. (Added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 874.)

The surviving district contains an improvement district, designated “Storm Water Unit,” which consists of land in the storm water district at the time of the merger plus inclusions, and less exclusions, of land thereafter made pursuant to law. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 274.)

The storm water unit shall solely be and remain taxable or assessable for bonds, indebtedness, works, improvements, and functions authorized by the Storm Water District Act of 1909. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 274.)

Land may be added to or excluded from the storm water unit in a manner as nearly as may be as land is added to or excluded from county water districts as provided in this division and not in the manner provided in the Storm Water District Act of 1909. (Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 2…

If upon the canvass of the returns it appears that a majority of all the votes cast favor the formation of the district, the board shall by an order entered on its minutes declare the territory formed as a district under the name designated for it and shall issue certificates of …

The board shall immediately file for record in the office of the county recorder of each affected county a certified copy of the order declaring the district formed along with a certificate listing all of the following: (a) The name of the district. (b) The date of formation. (c)…

With the filing for record of the order declaring the district formed the formation of the district is complete. (Added by Stats. 1951, Ch. 390.)