Groundwater leases are temporary assignments of rights to other parties to produce groundwater in the Central and West Coast Basins. Leases are for the minimum term of one administrative year but can be for multiple years. Two different types of leases are commonly used:

Standard Leases
Standard leases only transfer the right to pump a specified volume of water for the specified time period. No additional rights are transferred.

Leases with flex
”Flex” transfers both the pumping right and associated carryover rights to the lessee. This can have a significant impact for the future water rights of the parties. See the section on carryover rights for more information.