This week’s National Groundwater Awareness Week is a reminder of just how important groundwater is for nearly 85 percent of California’s residents who depend on it for some portion of their supply. In all, groundwater quenches some 40 percent of the state’s freshwater needs — even more in a drought year like we’re having now. You can deepen your knowledge of this critical water source by attending our Water 101 Workshop & Groundwater Tour and our Central Valley Tour, all in April.

Can’t wait until April to learn more about groundwater? Then check out our Groundwater Map and Layperson’s Guide to Groundwater. We have more details below.

Water 101 Workshop & Groundwater Tour: April 7 & 8

Our annual one-day Water 101 Workshop on April 8 includes a special session devoted to groundwater, and you can also join the optional one-day groundwater tour the day before.

The special groundwater session will be taught by Thomas Harter, Chair of Water Management and Policy in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at the University of California, Davis.

With California using more groundwater than any other state, participants will learn the fundamentals of groundwater and how it all affects efforts to comply with the state’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Besides the groundwater session, the workshop will also cover the development of water rights in California and how water is managed in the state, among other hot topics. Learn more and find out how to register for our Water 101 Workshop.

At the same link, you can also register to join us for an optional groundwater tour on April 7, the day before the workshop. The tour will travel to farms, cities and facilities in the Sacramento region where attendees will learn firsthand about groundwater management and have a chance to talk to organizations working to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 

Central Valley Tour: April 20-22

Groundwater is also a key topic throughout our Central Valley Tour April 20-22 where we explore water supply challenges in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions thanks to an imported supply of surface water and local groundwater.

You’ll hear directly from farmers, water managers, disadvantaged community experts and others while getting a firsthand look at groundwater issues such as subsidence, groundwater recharge, groundwater quality and requirements under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Register here!

Groundwater Map & Guide

Our handy 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Groundwater and our poster-sized California Groundwater Map can help you build your knowledge of groundwater. The Guide is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication that provides background and perspective on groundwater and includes background information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The map illustrates the value and use of groundwater in California, the main types of aquifers, and the connection between groundwater and surface water. You can buy both at a discount with our Groundwater Education Bundle.