California Water Code Section 79452

(a) The Secretary of the Resources Agency, with the advice of the authority and the director, shall appoint a lead scientist. The lead scientist shall report to the authority. The lead scientist, in cooperation with the implementing agencies, shall be responsible for the development of the science program element. (b) The lead scientist shall meet the following requirements: (1) Has undertaken substantial scientific research work in any field related to one or more of the program elements. (2) Has experience managing environmental issues or advising high-level managers in methods for promoting science-based decisionmaking in the areas of water management and ecosystem restoration. (3) Has a record of publication in peer-reviewed scientific literature. (c) For all program elements, the lead scientist shall ensure scientific application of adaptive management, monitoring, and investigations to reduce uncertainties, and full investigation of the effects of each program element on other program elements. (d) The lead scientist shall ensure that peer review is employed extensively and prudently to ensure the quality of program planning, implementation, and evaluation. (e) The purpose of the science program element shall be to carry out all of the following functions: (1) Provide implementing agencies and the authority with authoritative and unbiased reviews of the state of scientific knowledge relevant to management and decisionmaking for the California Bay-Delta Program. (2) Implement programs and projects to articulate, test, refine, and improve the scientific understanding of all aspects of the bay-delta and its watershed areas. (3) Provide a comprehensive framework to integrate, monitor, and evaluate the use of adaptive management and the best available scientific understandings and practices for implementing the California Bay-Delta Program. (4) Independently review the technical and scientific performance of the California Bay-Delta Program, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (A) Conclusions. (B) Studies, monitoring, performance measures. (C) Data analyses. (D) Scientific practices that form the scientific bases for program decisionmaking.