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Show CALIFORNIA 689 selling, and exchanging water, distributing water to persons in exchange for ceasing or reducing ground water extractions, and spreading, sinking, and in- jecting water into the ground.140 Such districts are also authorized, among other things, to commence or intervene in actions and proceedings to deter- mine or adjudicate all or a portion of water rights to divert, extract, or use waters within the district.141 They may levy replenishment assessments to finance all or part of the costs of replenishing ground water.142 Commencing with the third fiscal year after a final adjudication of all or substantially all of the rights to extract ground water and a determination of natural safe yield within the district and the extent to which the adjudicated rights may be exercised without exceeding the safe yield, the district's board shall recognize such judicial determination by exempting from replenishment assessments the amount of water pumped by each person whose rights have been so adjudi- cated which does not exceed his proportionate share of the natural safe yield.143 Statutes Relating to Overdrawn Ground Water Supplies in Specified Areas In 1951,1953, and 1955 the California Legislature enacted statutes in recog- nition of the serious situation that prevails with respect to overdrafts upon important ground water supplies in the southern part of the State. Each statute applies only to specified counties. None of this legislation purports to restrict the exercise of the overlying landowner's or appropriator's ground water right. The statute of 1951 is designed to encourage him to obtain an alternate supply of water from a nontributary source, the use of which will be deemed equiva- lent to a reasonable beneficial use of the ground water which he has ceased to extract by reason of having the substitute supply.144 The 1955 statute requires him to make annual reports of information essential to adjustments and deter- minations of ground water rights, thus speeding up and reducing the cost of the requisite studies; and it contains important provisions respecting the ap- plicability of the law of adverse possession to persons who are required to file such reports.145 The 1953 legislation relates to preliminary injunctions for protection of ground water basins while rights therein are being deter- mined.146 140/c?. §§ 60003,60220-60221. 141 Id. § 60230(7). 142 See, inter alia, id. § 60306. 1A3Id § 60350. 144Id. §§ 1005.1 and 1005.2, as amended. 14SId. § § 4999-5008. 146Id. §§ 2020 and 2021. These 1951, 1953, and 1955 statutes are discussed in Hutchins, W. A., "The California Law of Water Rights" 469-473 (1956). |