CA SB226

Establishes a Watershed Restoration Grant Program administered by the Natural Resources Agency to provide grants to counties affected by wildfires occurring on or after January 1, 2017, where a state of emergency was declared by the Governor.

Eligible counties must provide a 50 percent match for grants, with a maximum of $1,000,000 per year disbursed over a five-year period, and must expend funds by the end of each calendar year.

Counties may use up to 5 percent of annual disbursements for administrative costs, while the Agency may use 5 percent of total appropriated funds for program administration.

Requires counties to submit annual reports by January 1 detailing funded projects, photographic documentation, water quality test results, project costs, and third-party inspection reports.

Grant funds may only be used for watershed restoration activities that improve water quality or supply and cannot be used as mitigation for other unrelated projects; two or more counties may apply jointly to restore shared watersheds.