It may be the dog days of summer but it’s a busy time at the Foundation! 

• Registration opens soon for our annual Water Summit on Oct. 25 in Sacramento. This year’s theme has been set!
• Learn about the science happening behind the scenes on the Klamath River dam removals in the latest article from our Western Water journalism team.
• Don’t miss out! Reserve one of the few remaining spots on our fall tours along the Eastern Sierra and across Northern California.

Water Summit: Taking On the Improbable in Western Water

Our annual Water Summit returns Oct. 25 in Sacramento with the theme, Taking on the Improbable in Western Water.

Changes in Western water management considered unlikely just a decade ago are becoming reality: Four dams are coming down on the Klamath River, the Legislature is pondering changes to California’s water rights system and collaborative plans for more sustainable groundwater use are being approved.

The day-long summit is the Foundation’s premier event of the year and will feature engaging conversations about these critical issues affecting water statewide and across the West. The event will be held at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento. Registration opens Wednesday, August 23.

Western Water: Klamath Dam Removals

The largest dam removal project ever undertaken is underway on the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how the river’s ecosystem will respond — a river restoration plan of this size has never been tried — but they are pouncing on the opportunity to find out.

Our latest Western Water article explores the questions scientists are trying to answer as the four obsolete dams come out. Tribes in the Klamath River Basin are playing a leading role in returning the iconic Western river to a more natural state. Read the full story here.

ONE TIME ONLY! Eastern Sierra Tour: September 12-15

Only a handful of seats are left on the bus for our special Eastern Sierra Tour in September! The 3-day, 3-night tour journeys along the Eastern Sierra from the Truckee River to Mono Lake and on through the Owens Valley to explore a major source of water for Southern California, this year’s epic snowpack and water challenges for towns, farms and the environment. We’re also marking the 40th anniversary of the pivotal Mono Lake case during the tour by discussing the importance of the public trust doctrine in allocating water in California and across the West.

The experience begins in Reno Sept. 12 with a post-dinner kickoff reception. The bus tour departs the morning of Sept. 13 and will end Sept. 15 at Ontario International Airport in Southern California. Planned stops and topics include some of the first federal reclamation projects built at the turn of the 20th century and the history and operations of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Register here!

Northern California Tour: October 18-20

The bus for our popular Northern California Tour in October is also near capacity! The 3-day, 2-night excursion across the Sacramento Valley travels north from Sacramento to Oroville, Redding and Shasta Lake. Experts will talk about the history of the Sacramento River as the tour winds through riparian woodland, rice fields, wildlife refuges and nut orchards.

Participants will see for themselves how this year’s abundant precipitation has filled keystone reservoirs of the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project. They’ll also explore farming and environmental water uses; visit the location of the proposed Sites Reservoir; and discuss innovations in managing floods, groundwater and salmon. Register here!