The general assembly finds that as the population and demand for water resources grow, it is prudent to engage in planning for the future and to have an explicit mechanism in place to regulate proposals for the diversion of water from one river basin to another. By removing water from rivers, such inter-basin transfers raise issues of the protection of the public health, safety, welfare and the environment as the water is no longer available for use in the original stream. The primary purpose of this part is to allow regulation on the basis of the quantity of water in river basins. Although the common law addresses some of these concerns, it relies on after-the-fact litigation rather than a modern regulatory system. As this is remedial and police power legislation, all sections of this part shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purpose.