Our slate of water tours for 2019 will include a new tour along the Central Coast to view a river where a dam was removed, check out efforts to desalt ocean water, recycle wastewater and manage groundwater and seawater intrusion. We’ll also take a new route for our Headwaters Tour to check out a pilot project for thinning the forest in the Yuba River Watershed.

Registration is already open for our Lower Colorado River Tour and our Central Valley Tour.

Here are the details on our 2019 tours:

Lower Colorado River Tour: Feb. 27 to March 1

This 3-day, 2-night tour follows the course of the lower Colorado River through Nevada, Arizona and California, and includes a private tour of Hoover Dam. Tour stops include Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Havasu, the Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant, MWD’s Gene Village, farms in the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the Salton Sea. Issues discussed include water needs in the Lower Basin, drought management, Lake Mead shortage criteria and endangered species.  Register here.

Central Valley Tour: April 3 to April 5

This 3-day, 2-night tour travels the length of the San Joaquin Valley, giving participants a clear understanding of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. Stops include San Luis Reservoir, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, Mendota Pool, Tulare Lake Basin, Kern Water Bank, local farms and Friant Dam. Issues of water supply for farms, water project operations, groundwater, wetlands, flood control and agricultural drainage are discussed. Register here. 

Bay-Delta Tour: June 5 to June 7

This 3-day, 2-night tour takes participants to the heart of California water policy – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. Stops include the historic town of Clarksburg, Delta islands, Big Break Regional Shoreline, Los Vaqueros Reservoir, the Bay Model in Sausalito and Rush Ranch in the Suisun Marsh. Participants learn about the critical role the Delta plays in California’s water supply, Delta planning initiatives, water project operations, fish passage, ecosystem restoration, levees and flood management, Delta agriculture and water supply reliability.

Headwaters Tour: June 27 to June 28

NEW ROUTE! This 2-day, 1-night tour travels through the Sierra Nevada foothills, into the mountains and around the Lake Tahoe Basin to explore the impact of fires on California water supply and quality in the American and Yuba watersheds, as well as forest management and tree mortality, meadow restoration and climate change. Tour stops include the Yuba and American rivers, Tahoe and El Dorado national forests, meadow and river restoration sites and Lake Tahoe. 

Northern California Tour: Oct. 2 to Oct. 4

This 3-day, 2-night tour travels the length of the Sacramento Valley, a primary source of water for much of California. Stops include Oroville and Shasta dams, Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project, a rice farm, Feather River Fish Hatchery, Clear Creek restoration site, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Another highlight is a houseboat cruise on Shasta Lake. Speakers talk about farming, water supply, flood management, groundwater and salmon restoration. 

Central Coast Tour: Nov. 6 to Nov. 7

NEW! This 2-day, 1-night tour offers participants the opportunity to learn about water issues affecting California’s Central Coast and the solutions that are being applied. Topics include ocean desalination, water recycling, groundwater, dam removal and farming. Tour stops include Santa Clara Valley Water District, Pure Water Monterey, San Clemente Dam and the Salinas Valley. The tour begins and ends in San Jose.

Contact Programs Manager Nick Gray via email or at 916-444-6240 with any questions.