Cannabis cultivators applying for an Annual License from the Department of Cannabis Control must have a Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA) Agreement or written verification that one is not needed. CDFW requires an LSA Agreement when a project activity may substantially adversely affect fish and wildlife resources. LSA Agreements provide actions to avoid and minimize adverse impacts and provide protections to California’s fish and wildlife resources.
Licensing Requirements
Modifications to the Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) provisional licensing requirements were signed into law in July 2021. These changes include obtaining appropriate Lake or Streambed Alteration (LSA) documentation and submitting this documentation to DCC for all cultivation license types. The following LSA documents will fulfill requirements for the renewal of an existing provisional cultivation license:
- A final LSA Agreement
- A draft LSA Agreement signed by the applicant and returned to CDFW
- Written Verification that an LSA Agreement is not needed
To avoid delays, it is important to provide all required information when first submitting an LSA notification and promptly responding to any incomplete letter requesting additional information.
New! Cannabis LSA Documentation Identification Tool. This tool is designed to assist cultivators with an existing LSA agreement, and those who have never received an LSA agreement or written verification one is not needed. The tool will guide you through a series of yes/no questions, ending with a recommendation on how to obtain the appropriate LSA documentation for DCC licensing purposes. It is not intended for those who have already received written verification (Self-Certification, No Agreement Needed, Notification Not Required, or OpLaw letters). Please refer to the below LSA Documentation for DCC table for information on how to keep your written verification up to date.
LSA Documentation for DCC
If you have a Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA) agreement, Operation of Law (OpLaw) letter, Notification Not Required (NNR) letter, No Agreement Needed (NAN) letter, or Self-Certification letter, you need to verify that the documentation is up to date. If your LSA agreement or OpLaw letter is expired or will expire prior to license renewal, or if your project has changed since receiving an NNR, NAN, or Self-Certification letter, please see the table below for suggested next steps.
Final LSA Document
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Current Status
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Next Steps
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LSA Agreement
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Expired
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- If you need more time to complete some or all of the project activities authorized in the LSA agreement, you will need to submit a new notification and obtain a new LSA agreement to finish the work.
- If you have completed all project activities authorized in the LSA agreement, please reach out to your LSA Regional Contact for next steps.
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Not expired
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- If you need more time to complete some or all of the project activities authorized in the LSA agreement, you will need to submit an extension request* prior to the expiration in order to extend the term of the LSA agreement.
- If you have completed all project activities authorized in the LSA agreement, please reach out to your LSA Regional Contact for next steps.
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Issued to someone else
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The person who the LSA agreement was issued to will need to submit an amendment request** to transfer the LSA agreement.
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Change in project specifics
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You will need to submit an amendment request** to incorporate any project changes into the LSA agreement.
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LSA Agreement with a Water Diversion
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Expired
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You will need to submit a new notification and obtain a new LSA agreement if you continue to divert water.
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Not expired
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You will need an LSA Agreement if you continue to divert water. Submit an extension request* prior to your LSA agreement expiration.
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OpLaw Letter***
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Expired or Not Expired
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- If you need more time to complete some or all of the project activities authorized by your OpLaw Letter, you will need to submit a new notification and obtain a new LSA agreement to finish the work.
- If your OpLaw Letter authorized a water diversion, you will need to submit a new notification and receive a new LSA agreement to continue diverting water.
- If you have completed all project activities authorized by the OpLaw Letter, please reach out to your LSA Regional Contact for next steps.
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Issued to someone else
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OpLaw Letters cannot be amended or transferred. You will need to submit a new notification for the project activities.
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NNR, NAN, & Self-Certification Letters
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No Expiration
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Once issued, these letters do not expire. If the information provided in the original notification is still accurate, you can continue to use these letters for license renewal purposes. You must submit a new notification if any changes are made to the project activities described in the original notification. No amendments can be made.
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*All extension requests must be submitted prior to the LSA agreement's expiration. The term of an LSA agreement may only be extended one time for a maximum of five years. If the LSA agreement has already been extended once, you must submit a new notification. A General Agreement may not be extended.
**Type of amendment request (minor or major) is dependent on significance of changes needing to be made. Transfer of an LSA agreement is a minor amendment. A General Agreement may not be amended or transferred.
***A letter indicating CDFW did not provide you with a draft LSA agreement or inform you that an agreement is not required within a specified timeframe. As a result, by law, you were able to proceed with the project described in your notification without an agreement.
Note: All final documentation provided by CDFW will need to be uploaded to DCC’s licensing portal.