For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
§ 832.Definitions
Title 10. Actions In Particular Cases · Chapter 7. Actions Relating to Groundwater Rights · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 832 defines the terms used throughout Chapter 7, including basin, complaint, comprehensive adjudication, condition of long-term overdraft, groundwater, groundwater extraction facility, plaintiff, and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Full Text of § 832
(a) "Basin" has the same meaning as defined in Section 10721 of the Water Code.
(b) "Complaint" means a complaint filed in superior court to determine rights to extract groundwater and includes any cross-complaint that initiates a comprehensive adjudication in response to a plaintiff's complaint or other cross-complaint.
(c) "Comprehensive adjudication" means an action filed in superior court to comprehensively determine rights to extract groundwater in a basin.
(d) "Condition of long-term overdraft" means the condition of a groundwater basin where the average annual amount of water extracted for a long-term period, generally 10 years or more, exceeds the long- term average annual supply of water to the basin, plus any temporary surplus. Overdraft during a period of drought is not sufficient to establish a condition of long-term overdraft if extractions and recharge are managed as necessary to ensure that reductions in groundwater levels or storage during a period of drought are offset by increases in groundwater levels or storage during other periods.
(e) "Department" means the Department of Water Resources.
(f) "Expert witness" means a witness qualified pursuant to Section 720 of the Evidence Code.
(g) "Groundwater" means water beneath the surface of the earth within the zone below the water table in which the soil is completely saturated with water, but does not include water that flows in known and definite channels.
(h) "Groundwater extraction facility" means a device or method for extracting groundwater in a basin.
(i) "Groundwater recharge" means the augmentation of groundwater, by natural or artificial means.
(j) "Person" includes, but is not limited to, counties, local agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, tribes, business entities, and individuals.
(k) "Plaintiff" means the person filing the complaint initiating a comprehensive adjudication and includes a cross-complainant who initiates a comprehensive adjudication by cross-complaint.
(l) "Public water system" has the same meaning as defined in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code.
(m) "State small water system" has the same meaning as defined in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code.
(n) "Sustainable Groundwater Management Act" means Part 2.74 (commencing with Section 10720) of Division 6 of the Water Code.
Plain-English Summary
This section is Chapter 7's glossary, and several of its definitions carry real weight in how the chapter operates. "Comprehensive adjudication" means an action filed in superior court to comprehensively determine rights to extract groundwater in a basin — the core concept the whole chapter is built around. "Basin" and "Sustainable Groundwater Management Act" both tie back to the Water Code, linking this chapter's litigation procedures to the state's broader groundwater management framework.
The definition of "condition of long-term overdraft" matters for § 847's preliminary injunction provisions: it means a groundwater basin where average annual extraction over a long period, generally ten years or more, exceeds the average annual supply plus any temporary surplus, with an express carve-out for drought-period overdraft that's offset by later recharge under proper management.
Other definitions clarify who counts as a "person" (a broad category including counties, agencies, tribes, business entities, and individuals) and what "groundwater" means (water below the water table in fully saturated soil, excluding water flowing in known and definite channels). These definitions recur throughout the rest of the chapter, from the notice provisions in § 835 to the judgment provisions in §§ 850 through 852.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "comprehensive adjudication" as defined in this chapter?
An action filed in superior court to comprehensively determine rights to extract groundwater in a basin, including a cross-complaint that initiates such a proceeding.
What counts as "groundwater" under this chapter?
Water below the surface within the zone where the soil is fully saturated, but not water flowing in known and definite channels.
What is a "condition of long-term overdraft"?
A condition where average annual extraction over a long period, generally ten years or more, exceeds the average annual supply plus any temporary surplus, unless drought-period overdraft is offset by managed recharge in other periods.
Who counts as a "person" for purposes of this chapter?
Counties, local agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, tribes, business entities, and individuals, among others.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2016 ch 86 (SB 1171),s 26, eff. 1/1/2017. Added by Stats 2015 ch 672 (AB 1390),s 1, eff. 1/1/2016.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: groundwater adjudication definitions californiacondition of long-term overdraft definition