(a) The department shall conduct at least one annual inspection of every levee for which maintenance or improvement costs have been reimbursed pursuant to this part. In addition, the department shall inspect nonproject levees of local agencies for the purpose of monitoring and ascertaining the degree of compliance with, or progress toward meeting, standards such as those set forth in Section 12984.
(b) The local agency shall cooperate with the department in the conduct of these inspections, including the provision of reasonable access over local agency lands and easements.