Adjudicated Basins and Watermasters in California

Court Name Final Decision Watermaster Location
Beaumont Basin -- -- Riverside County
Brite Basin -- Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Kern County
Central Basin 1965 Dept. of Water Resources -- Southern District Los Angeles County
Chino Basin 1978 Nine-member board San Bernardino County
Cucamonga Basin -- None appointed; operated as part of Chino Basin San Bernardino County
Cummings Basin 1972 Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Kern County
Goleta Basin -- Goleta Water District Santa Barbara County
Main San Gabriel Basin 1973 Nine-member board nominated by water purveyors and water districts, appointed by Superior Court. Los Angeles County
Mojave Basin Area 1996 Mojave Water Agency San Bernardino County
Puente Basin 1985 -- Los Angeles County
Puente Narrows -- Two consultants Los Angeles County
Raymond Basin 1944 Raymond Basin Management Board Los Angeles County
San Gregorio Creek Stream System 1992 One-person watermaster San Mateo County
Santa Margarita River Watershed 1966 U.S. District Court appointee San Diego and Riverside Counties
Santa Paula Basin 1996 Three-person Technical Advisory Committee from United Water CD, City of Ventura, and Santa Paula Basin Pumpers Association Ventura County
Scott River Stream System 1980 Two local irrigation districts Siskiyou County
Six Basins 1999 Nine-member board Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties
Tehachapi Basin 1972 Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Kern County
Upper Los Angeles River Area 1979 An individual hydrologist appointed by the Superior Court Los Angeles County
Warren Valley Basin 1977 Hi-Desert Water District San Bernardino County
West Coast Basin 1961 Dept. of Water Resources -- Southern District Los Angeles County
Western San Bernardino -- -- San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

Source: Calif. Dept. of Water Resources, Aug. 2004.

Adjudication

In some groundwater basins in California, land owners or other parties have turned to the courts to settle disputes over how much groundwater can rightfully be extracted. The courts have then determined an equitable distribution of water that will be available for extraction each year. In these adjudicated groundwater basins, the courts typically appoint a Watermaster to administer the court judgment.