(a) The project for flood control on the San Joaquin River is adopted and authorized substantially in accordance with P.L. 98-63, at a federal cost of approximately eight million dollars ($8,000,000), for the accomplishment of selective clearing and snagging work in the San Joaquin Channel, from Friant Dam to the Stockton Deep Water Channel, and in that area of the North Fork of the Kings River and Mendota Pool from the southerly boundary of the James Reclamation District No. 1606 to Mendota Dam. Because of the unique situation presented by this project, the department shall maintain and operate, on behalf of the state, the work performed by the Corps of Engineers on this project, and the cost of that maintenance and operation shall be borne by the state.

(b) Any assurance agreement entered into between the Secretary of the Army and the Reclamation Board for this project shall provide for mitigation of the impact of the project with the objective of providing a net long-term enhancement of the riparian habitat and fishery in the project area.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature, in reviewing future projects, to improve the capacity of the San Joaquin River to provide for mitigation of the impact of the project and net long-term enhancement of the riparian habitats and fisheries in the project area.

(d) The Legislature finds and declares that the local responsibility of maintenance of this and future federal projects in and along the San Joaquin River may be better, more efficiently, and more fairly fulfilled by geographically larger, or regional, local public entities. The Legislature, therefore, directs the Reclamation Board, in coordination with the department, to study the possibility of creating, by a joint powers agreement or by special act of the Legislature, one or more regional districts to undertake at a future time local maintenance responsibility for this project. The Reclamation Board shall report its findings to the Legislature not later than December 31, 1985.

(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1488, Sec. 3.)