Learn the importance of atmospheric rivers to California’s hydrology and the impacts of climate whiplash during a session at our Water 101 Workshop led by Marty Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

The workshop, April 10 in Sacramento, is among the events, tours and publications the Water Education Foundation offers to help you get beyond the stream of recent national headlines and better understand how water is managed and moved across the Golden State:

• Our Central Valley Tour on April 23-25 will take you to see firsthand some of the water facilities that have been in the national news, including Terminus Dam where an unscheduled release of water took place in January. You’ll learn about the dam’s importance for flood control and water supply.
• Our series of easy-to-read Layperson Guides covers an array of topical water issues, including our popular Layperson’s Guide to California Water that provides an overview of water history, development and challenges in the state. 

Water 101 Workshop: April 10

Water 101 is your once-a-year opportunity to go beyond the headlines and learn about the state’s most precious natural resource directly from some of the leading policy and legal experts in California, including:

• Thomas Harter, UC Davis professor, speaking on groundwater resources, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act & more
• Jennifer Harder, McGeorge School of Law professor, speaking on the various water rights in California, public trust law & more
• Jenn Bowles, Water Education Foundation executive director, speaking on California’s geography, water development history & more
• Joshua Nelson, environmental law & natural resources attorney, speaking on state & federal water management framework, regulating agencies & more
• Pablo Garza, chief consultant for the State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife, speaking on the legislative process, current water legislation & more

The one-day workshop is an ideal way to get a statewide perspective on key water issues for new water district board members, water agency staff, engineering and environmental consultants, city council members, county supervisors, legislators, legislative staff, press, advocates, attorneys, environmentalists, public interest organizations and others.

Plus, workshop participants are invited to also join an optional watershed tour April 11, the day after the workshop. Get more details and register here!

Central Valley Tour: April 23-25

There’s no better way to experience the San Joaquin Valley, where water supply and use have been in the national headlines, than going on our tour. You will hear directly from farmers, water managers, disadvantaged communities and others about how they’re meeting the region’s challenges on our annual Central Valley Tour.

Floods and drought, decreasing water quality, farmland conversion for urban growth and requirements under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act are just some of the topics covered. We will also visit some of the state’s major infrastructure such as Friant Dam, the Delta-Mendota Canal and the San Luis Reservoir, which stores water from both the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Get more details and register here!

Updated Layperson Guides Provide Primer on Hot Topics

Five Layperson Guides covering topics ranging from water conservation and water recycling to the Klamath River Basin, the Colorado River Basin and California water have been updated in recent years to reflect the latest developments and emerging issues.

The Layperson Guides provide every-day readers with an essential overview of the history, key issues and challenges facing water resources in California and the West. Our most recently updated guides are:

• Layperson’s Guide to California Water, which covers the full range of California’s water resources – from north to south – and provides an overview of the state’s two largest supply projects, the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. The guide also examines such topics as flood management, groundwater, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and more.
• Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River Basin, which chronicles the river’s early history, the division of its waters, the Law of the River that governs its use, tribal water rights and collaboration with Mexico.
• Layperson’s Guide to the Klamath River Basin, which was recently updated to reflect the removal of four dams on the river, impacts of drought on farms and fisheries, and tribal water rights.
• Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling, which examines the history and increasing use of recycled water as a way to buffer against drought, recycling treatments and public perceptions about using recycled water for drinking.
• Layperson’s Guide to Water Conservation, which addresses the impact of drought and climate change on water supplies and how farms, city dwellers and industries can stretch their supplies of water.

You can explore the full series encompassing these five guides and 13 others at this link. Or purchase the full series of 18 at a discounted price here.