March 5, 2026
Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Six
The Rule of Las Posas Valley Water Rights Coalition v. Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1 is that in a comprehensive groundwater adjudication, trial courts may allocate water rights directly to overlying landowners rather than to mutual water companies when the companies act as agents/trustees exercising rights on behalf of shareholders and the landowners retain their underlying overlying water rights, under circumstances where substantial evidence shows the landowners never severed their water rights through written transfer and the companies do not assert exclusive rights against their shareholders.
3/26/26
Court of Appeal of the State of California, Third Appellate District
The Rule of Department of Water Resources Cases is that a public entity with eminent domain authority may conduct precondemnation entry and testing activities under Code of Civil Procedure section 1245.010 et seq.
5/29/26
Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three
The Rule of Dummer v. City and County of San Francisco is that a public agency owning a reservoir has discretionary authority to evaluate and determine terms and conditions for a fishing program before submitting a water supply permit application, and is not subject to mandamus for immediate permit application submission, under circumstances where the agency has made the required water purity determination and is actively taking steps to comply with applicable permitting requirements including CEQA review.