LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeWater CodeDiv. 6Pt. 6Ch. 1Art. 3§ 12581 Water Project Beneficial Uses

§ 12581 Water Project Beneficial Uses

Water Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 12581 Water Project Beneficial Uses

This law says that when studying water projects, all beneficial uses of the state's water must be considered, like irrigation, power, drinking, fish, and recreation, to decide if the project is feasible and how to pay for it.

Key Takeaways

  • •All beneficial water uses must be evaluated
  • •Projects must assess feasibility and financing
  • •Other useful uses beyond the listed ones also count

Example

A city plans to build a new dam to provide drinking water and generate electricity while also protecting local fish.

The study must look at all these uses—drinking water, power, fish habitat, and any other useful ways the water can help—before deciding if the dam is feasible and how to fund it.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12581 Water Project Beneficial Uses

In studying water development projects, full consideration shall be given to all beneficial uses of the State’s water resources, including irrigation, generation of electric energy, municipal and industrial consumption of water and power, repulsion of salt water, preservation and development of fish and wildlife resources, and recreational facilities, but not excluding other beneficial uses of water, in order that recommendations may be made as to the feasibility of such projects and for the method of financing feasible projects. (Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 196.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

water development projectsbeneficial usesState’s water resourcesfeasibilityfinancing feasible projects

Related Statutes

  • § 12580 State Water Project Coordination
  • § 10801 Agricultural Water Use Efficiency
  • § 11130 State Property Use Consent
  • § 11131 State Land Use Agreements
  • § 1205 Stream System Appropriation Declaration

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Water Code. Section 12581.
View Official Source