Proposed Emergency Regulations for Suction Dredging

December 16, 2013

On December 16, 2013, CDFW submitted its request for approval for the readoption to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). OAL has ten calendar days to take related action. Documents related to this request are available here:

December 9, 2013

On December 9, 2013, CDFW issued a Notice of Proposed Regulatory Action to Readopt the Emergency Amendment and related documents.  Documents prepared for the readoption are available here:

June 28, 2013 Emergency Regulatory Action

On June 28, 2013, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved an emergency action by CDFW under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to amend the regulatory definition of suction dredging. (See Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, 228, subd. (a).) The new definition is now in effect statewide. (Cal. Reg. Notice Register 2013, No. 28-Z, pp. 1034-1035.)

Under the new definition as discussed above, the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment (i.e., suction dredging) is defined as the use of a suction system to vacuum material from a river, stream or lake for the extraction of minerals. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 228, subd. (a), effective June 28, 2013.)

The documents prepared by CDFW as part of the emergency action and OAL notice that the new definition is now in effect are available here: