The following article by Diane Kindermann was published by the Orange County Lawyer Magazine in its August 2014 issue.  It encapsulates the State of California’s response to the drought through state legislation, local regulation, litigation, and new technical guidance addressing both surface and groundwater.  To read the entire article click here.

Since the original publication of this article, on September 16 to be exact, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 1168, Senate Bill 1319 and Assembly Bill 1739. This historic package of legislation establishes the framework for groundwater regulation for the first time in the State’s history. For Abbott & Kindermann’s analysis of these bills click here.