Cal. WAT § 8702
This is the official text of Cal. WAT § 8702, part of California’s Water Code — governs water rights and water resource management.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) The board, following notice and opportunity for a hearing, may order the removal or modification of an encroachment that was previously issued a permit by the board if the board makes one of the following findings based on substantial evidence:
(1) The encroachment presents an imminent threat to the structural integrity of the levee, channel, flood control work, or other facility of the State Plan of Flood Control.
(2) The encroachment significantly impairs the functional capability of the levee, channel, flood control work, or other facility of the State Plan of Flood Control to fulfill its particular intended role in the overall flood control plan.
(3) The encroachment is not in conformance with state law, board regulations, or, in the case of facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control, the standards and regulations of the Secretary of the Army.
(b) Routine maintenance by the board, the executive officer, the department, or local agencies that operate and maintain facilities and works on behalf of the board that includes the removal or modification of abandoned property, fences, gates, and vegetation on a levee or other flood control structure shall not be subject to this section.
(c) The removal or modification of previously permitted encroachments shall not be subject to administrative or civil penalties pursuant to Section 8704 or 8704.1.
(d) If the board orders the removal or modification of a previously permitted encroachment, the permit for the encroachment shall be modified or revoked accordingly.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter an individual’s right to compensation that may otherwise exist at law or any rights an individual has under the Constitution of the state or the United States.
(1) The encroachment presents an imminent threat to the structural integrity of the levee, channel, flood control work, or other facility of the State Plan of Flood Control.
(2) The encroachment significantly impairs the functional capability of the levee, channel, flood control work, or other facility of the State Plan of Flood Control to fulfill its particular intended role in the overall flood control plan.
(3) The encroachment is not in conformance with state law, board regulations, or, in the case of facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control, the standards and regulations of the Secretary of the Army.
(b) Routine maintenance by the board, the executive officer, the department, or local agencies that operate and maintain facilities and works on behalf of the board that includes the removal or modification of abandoned property, fences, gates, and vegetation on a levee or other flood control structure shall not be subject to this section.
(c) The removal or modification of previously permitted encroachments shall not be subject to administrative or civil penalties pursuant to Section 8704 or 8704.1.
(d) If the board orders the removal or modification of a previously permitted encroachment, the permit for the encroachment shall be modified or revoked accordingly.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter an individual’s right to compensation that may otherwise exist at law or any rights an individual has under the Constitution of the state or the United States.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.