California · Water Code

WAT §22088: Every person who willfully and without authority closes, changes, or interferes with any headgate, waterbox, or measuring device while it is under the control of the watermaster, or who willfully take

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person commits a misdemeanor by willfully interfering with water control devices under a watermaster's control or taking water the watermaster has denied them.

Read the full statutory text

Every person who willfully and without authority closes, changes, or interferes with any headgate, waterbox, or measuring device while it is under the control of the watermaster, or who willfully takes or uses water which has been denied him by the watermaster under the provisions of this part is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.