Water right license revoked by State Water Board

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), acting through the Delta Watermaster, recently revoked a water right license of a Delta landowner for repeated failure to file annual diversion and use reports. All surface water diverters are required by the terms of their water right license to report their water diversion and use annually.

After an investigation in 2017, the Delta Watermaster issued an administrative civil liability complaint alleging that Lamb Gianelli Family Limited Partnership had failed to file required reports by the applicable deadline.

“Lamb Gianelli repeatedly failed to file timely reports of annual water use despite our frequent reminders, offers of assistance and enforcement actions to induce compliance,” said Delta Watermaster Michael George. “That failure to comply with the terms of the license resulted in this revocation action.”

Without the need for a hearing before the SWRCB, the Delta Watermaster and Lamb Gianelli reached a settlement agreement. In that agreement, Lamb Gianelli had to pay a $20,000 penalty and did not contest the revocation of the portion of the water right license it owned.

To see the area in which the license has been revoked visit https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/delta_watermaster/docs/lamb_gianelli_revocation.pdf.

The Office of the Delta Watermaster was created by the Delta Reform Act of 2009 with statutory and delegated authority to administer water rights in the Delta, including the enforcement of complex conditions for diversion and use of water.