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Committee approves narrow fix to keep certain removable‑board weirs out of dam safety statutes
Summary
AB 639 would exclude specified removable‑flashboard weirs from being treated as dams under the Water Code, reducing inspection/fee burdens on agricultural operators while preserving dam safety focus on larger structures.
Assemblymember Soria presented AB 639, a targeted correction to the Water Code clarifying that certain removable‑flashboard weirs that do not span the entire channel and pose limited structural risk should not be captured by the statutory definition of "dam." The sponsor said the change avoids placing small agricultural weirs under the Division of Safety of Dams’ full inspection, maintenance and fee regime and allows that Division to focus on larger, higher‑risk dams.
Charlotte Gallick (Kings River Conservation District) and several agricultural interests told the committee the bill reduces regulatory burden for long‑standing weir operations while sustaining dam‑safety oversight over larger structures. No opposition testified. The committee moved AB 639 as amended to Appropriations and placed the item on call.
