(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the boundaries of the area subject to a comprehensive adjudication shall be consistent with the boundaries of a basin.
§ 841.Boundaries
Title 10. Actions In Particular Cases · Chapter 7. Actions Relating to Groundwater Rights · Article 8. Basin Boundaries · Enacted 2015 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 841 ties a comprehensive adjudication's geographic scope to the basin's official boundaries, allows the court to revise those boundaries if the Department of Water Resources later revises the basin, and lets parties, the State Water Resources Control Board, or a special master seek a boundary revision subject to judicial review.
Full Text of § 841
(b) If the department revises the boundaries of a basin pursuant to Section 10722.2, or subdivision (b) of Section 12924, of the Water Code after a comprehensive adjudication has been initiated, the court may revise the boundaries of the area subject to the comprehensive adjudication as the interests of justice and the objectives of this chapter require.
(c) Upon a showing that a revision of the basin boundaries would further a fair and effective determination of water rights, the court may direct any of the following to submit a request to the department pursuant to Section 10722.2 of the Water Code to revise the basin boundaries:
(1) A party to the comprehensive adjudication.
(2) The State Water Resources Control Board, if the court has made a reference pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Water Code.
(3) A special master, if one has been appointed.
(d) A determination of the department on a submission made pursuant to subdivision (c) is subject to judicial review pursuant to Section 1085. Venue shall be in the court with jurisdiction over the comprehensive adjudication and the case shall be coordinated with the comprehensive adjudication.
Plain-English Summary
A comprehensive adjudication's boundaries generally track the basin's own boundaries. Subdivision (a) states that baseline rule. Subdivision (b) accounts for the fact that basin boundaries aren't necessarily fixed forever — if the Department of Water Resources revises a basin's boundaries under the Water Code after an adjudication has begun, the court may revise the adjudication's boundaries to match the interests of justice and this chapter's goals.
Subdivision (c) lets the court, on a showing that a boundary revision would further a fair and effective determination of water rights, direct a party, the State Water Resources Control Board (if the court has made a reference to the board under the Water Code), or an appointed special master to submit a boundary-revision request to the Department of Water Resources. Subdivision (d) subjects the department's ruling on that request to judicial review, with venue in the court handling the comprehensive adjudication and coordination between the two proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a comprehensive adjudication automatically cover the whole officially defined basin?
Yes, under § 841(a), except as the rest of the section otherwise provides.
What happens if the Department of Water Resources changes the basin's boundaries mid-case?
The court may revise the boundaries of the adjudication itself to match the interests of justice and this chapter's objectives.
Who can request that the department revise the basin's boundaries?
A party to the adjudication, the State Water Resources Control Board (if a reference to the board has been made), or a special master, if the court directs the request.
Can the department's boundary decision be challenged in court?
Yes, through judicial review under § 1085, with venue in the court handling the comprehensive adjudication.
Amendment History
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 basin boundary adjustment california