The Legislature finds and declares that in order to protect the general health and welfare of the public it is necessary to provide for the preservation and enhancement of the state‘s fish and wildlife resources in connection with flood control and watershed protection projects and to realize the full potential of such projects to provide recreational opportunities to the general public.

The Legislature further finds and declares that in order to enhance the general public health and welfare it is necessary that all flood control and watershed protection projects be designed, constructed, and operated so as to realize their full potential for the enhancement of the state’s fish and wildlife resources and to provide recreational opportunities to the general public. The Legislature further finds and declares that the realization of fish and wildlife enhancement opportunities and the provision of recreational opportunities is of benefit to all of the people of California and that a portion of the costs of realizing these benefits from federal flood control and watershed protection projects should be borne by them.

The Legislature further finds and declares that fish and wildlife enhancement and recreational development should be among the purposes of all federal flood control and watershed protection projects and that opportunities to attain these benefits should be realized concurrently with the realization of benefits from other project purposes.

(Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 537.)