Watch our series of short videos on the importance of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, how it works as a water hub for
California and the challenges it is facing.
When a person opens a spigot to draw a glass of water, he or she
may be tapping a source close to home or hundreds of miles away.
Water gets to taps via a complex web of aqueducts, canals and
groundwater.
Learn more about our team in the office and on the Board of
Directors and how you can support our nonprofit mission by
donating in someone’s honor or memory, or becoming a regular
contributor or supporting specific projects.
Unlike California’s majestic rivers and massive dams and
conveyance systems, groundwater is out of sight and underground,
though no less plentiful. The state’s enormous cache of
underground water is a great natural resource and has contributed
to the state becoming the nation’s top agricultural producer and
leader in high-tech industries.
A new era of groundwater management began in 2014 in California
with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The landmark law
turned 10 in 2024, with many challenges still ahead.
The biennial program, which will run from March to September
next year, selects about a dozen rising
stars from the seven states that rely on the river
– California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New
Mexico – Mexico and tribal nations.
The seven-month program is designed for working professionals who
explore issues surrounding the iconic Southwest
river, deepen their water knowledge, and build leadership
and collaborative skills.
Listen to
a recording of our virtual Q&A session
where executive director Jenn Bowles and other Foundation staff
provided an overview on the program and tips on applying.
Registration for our first water tour of 2026 along the lower
Colorado River is now open and the bus will fill up quickly! You
can also find more information below on next year’s programming
calendar packed with engaging tours, workshops and conferences.
And don’t forget that current Foundation member organizations
receive access to coveted sponsorship options for our
tours and events, which are all prime networking
opportunities for the water professionals in attendance! Contact
Nick Gray for more information.
Lower Colorado River Tour | March 11-13
Be sure to catch the return of our
annual Lower Colorado
River Tour as we take you from Hoover Dam to
the U.S.-Mexico border and through the Imperial and
Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities
facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”
Following the river as it winds through Nevada, Arizona and
California, the tour explores infrastructure, farming
regions, wildlife refuges and the Salton Sea. Experts discuss
river issues, such as water needs, drought management, endangered
species and habitat restoration.
In anticipation of high demand, space is limited to two
tickets per organization so reserve your spot soon while
tickets last. Get more tour
details and register here!
The Bureau of Reclamation today released a draft Environmental
Impact Statement evaluating a range of operational alternatives
for managing of Colorado River reservoirs after 2026, when the
current operating agreements expire. Prolonged drought
conditions over the past 25 years, combined with forecasts for
continued dry conditions, have made development of future
operating guidelines for the Colorado River particularly
challenging. The draft EIS evaluates a broad range of potential
operating strategies. It does not designate a preferred
alternative, ensuring flexibility for a potential collective
agreement.
After experiencing one of the wettest holiday seasons on
record, still soggy California hit a major milestone this week
— having zero areas of abnormal dryness for the first time in
25 years. This data, collected by the U.S. Drought Monitor, is
a welcome nugget of news for Golden State residents, who in the
last 15 years alone have lived through two of the worst
droughts on record, the worst wildfire seasons on record and
the most destructive wildfires ever. Right now, the wildfire
risk across California is “about as close to zero as it ever
gets,” and there is likely no need to worry about the state’s
water supply for the rest of the year, said UC climate
scientist Daniel Swain.
One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to
use less water and pay $11 million in a deal that state
officials say will help preserve disappearing
groundwater and provide financial help for residents
whose wells have run dry. Arizona Atty. Gen. Kris Mayes
announced the binding legal agreement with Minnesota-based
dairy company Riverview LLP on Thursday. … Groundwater
levels have been dropping rapidly over the last decade in the
Willcox area of southeastern Arizona’s Sulphur Springs Valley,
where Riverview runs a giant dairy and farming operation.
… Under the agreement, Riverview will stop irrigating
2,000 acres of crops in phases within 12 years.
… Utah is in a snow drought and it’s not
alone: Much of the vast, mountainous West is missing its
lifeblood — fueled by record-hot temperatures so far this
winter. California’sSierra Nevada
Mountains, only recently pasted with heavy snow from
atmospheric river storms, are the exception. And while this is
an immediate problem for businesses and active outdoors fans,
experts are also worried about bigger implications in the near
future. If the trend continues, it could deepen the West’s long
drought, aggravating already contentious negotiations about
allocating water along the Colorado River.
Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
Bay Model is a giant hydraulic replica of San Francisco
Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta. It is housed in a converted World II-era
warehouse in Sausalito near San Francisco.
Hundreds of gallons of water are pumped through the
three-dimensional, 1.5-acre model to simulate a tidal ebb
and flow lasting 14 minutes.
As part of the historic Colorado
River Delta, the Salton Sea regularly filled and dried for
thousands of years due to its elevation of 237 feet below
sea level.
The most recent version of the Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when
the Colorado River broke
through a series of dikes and flooded the seabed for two years,
creating California’s largest inland body of water. The
Salton Sea, which is saltier than the Pacific Ocean, includes 130
miles of shoreline and is larger than Lake Tahoe.
Drought—an extended period of
limited or no precipitation—is a fact of life in California and
the West, with water resources following boom-and-bust patterns.
During California’s 2012–2016 drought, much of the state
experienced severe drought conditions: significantly less
precipitation and snowpack, reduced streamflow and higher
temperatures. Those same conditions reappeared early in 2021
prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom in May to declare drought emergencies
in watersheds across 41 counties in California.
