캘리포니아州의 물 管理 行政機構와 水利權 制度

California"s Water Resources Management Agencies and Water Rights System

  This article intends to introduce and analyze the State of California"s water law and institution. California is heavily dependent upon the water projects such as dams and aqueducts. Therefore, it"s water law and institution provides interesting lessons and implications for Korea, which is also heavily dependent upon hydro-dams for the sustainable supply of water.   State Water Resources Control Board and Department of Water Resources in Sacramento have authorities to set and implement the water policies. The latter is given authorities to allow water rights. Water Districts play more direct role in supplying and managing water. These quasi-government water agencies are basically water wholesalers, but sometime function as supervising agencies.   California is unique to have two kinds of water rights, prior appropriation and riparian water rights. In these days, only appropriation is newly issued by the state government. Water right is almost like private property, but has various limitations. The article analyzes various aspects of California"s water rights, such as permit process, environmental review, monitoring and revocation.