Assembly BillChaptered/SignedWater
AB 639: Dams: exceptions.
What AB 639 does, verified December 13, 2025
The bill aims to amend a section of the water code related to dams. A dam is defined as any artificial barrier that impounds or diverts water and meets specified criteria. The existing law excludes barriers that are 6 feet or less in height, regardless of storage capacity, and those with a storage capacity of 15 acre-feet or less, regardless of height. The bill would also exclude a type of weir, specifically those with a minimum of 3 feet of freeboard on the levee, but only applies to weirs named in the bill. The department of water resources is responsible for supervising the construction, maintenance, and operation of dams and reservoirs for protection of life and property.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 617, Statutes of 2025. (2025-09-03)Alert me
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| Oct. 11, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 617, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 11, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 11, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. |
| Sep. 04, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2918.). |
| Sep. 04, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2918.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 11, 2025 · 416 words
Assembly Bill No. 639
CHAPTER 617
An act to amend Section 6003 of the Water Code, relating to dams.
[ Approved by Governor October 11, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 11, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 639, Soria. Dams: exceptions.
Existing law defines a dam to mean any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works, that does or may impound or divert water, and meets other specified criteria. Existing law excludes from the definition a barrier that is or will be not in excess of 6 feet in height, regardless of storage capacity, or that has or will have a storage capacity not in excess of 15 acre-feet, regardless of height. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to supervise the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, and removal of dams and reservoirs for the protection of life and property.
This bill would additionally exclude from the definition of a dam a barrier that does not impound water above the top of a levee where maximum storage behind the barrier has a minimum of 3 feet of freeboard on the levee and is a weir, as defined, but would apply only to specified weirs named in the bill.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 6003 of the Water Code is amended to read:6003.
(a) Any barrier that is or will be not in excess of six feet in height, regardless of storage capacity, or that has or will have a storage capacity not in excess of 15 acre-feet, regardless of height, shall not be considered a dam.(b) (1) Any barrier that does not impound water above the top of a levee where maximum storage behind the barrier has a minimum of three feet of freeboard on the levee and is a weir shall not be considered a dam.
(2) This subdivision shall apply only to Peoples Weir, Reynolds Weir, Last Chance Weir, Lemoore Diversion Weir, Island Weir, Crescent Weir, Stinson Weir, Empire Weir No. 1, and Empire Weir No. 2.
(c) For purposes of this section, a “weir” is defined as an agricultural water delivery structure with either mechanically or manually removable flashboards or gates that serves to regulate the flow of water in a stream and that functions as part of a federal flood control system as defined by Part 208 (commencing with Section 208.10) of Chapter II of Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Text of AB 639 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions