(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the funds appropriated to the department for the purposes of Sections 79560 and 79560.1, the department shall allocate the sum of not less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) to competitive grants for groundwater management and recharge projects. The department shall not allocate funds pursuant to this section unless it determines that the allocation is consistent with this division, as approved by the voters at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that these funds be used to enhance water supply in rapidly growing areas of this state with limited access to imported water supplies.
(c) Not more than 50 percent of the grants pursuant to this section shall be for projects in northern California. For projects in southern California, the department shall give preference to projects outside the service area of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that are infill projects within one mile of established residential and commercial development.
(d) As used in this section, the term “rapidly growing areas” means counties located in southern California where the county population increased by 2.4 percent or more between January 1, 2002, and January 1, 2003.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 370. Effective January 1, 2005.)