Water is expensive – and securing enough money to ensure reliability and efficiency of the state’s water systems and ecosystems is a constant challenge.

In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 1, authorizing a $7.5 billion bond to fund water projects throughout the state. This included investments in water storage, watershed protection and restoration, groundwater sustainability and drinking water protection.

During the Santa Ana River Watershed Conference’s panel “To Prop 1 and Beyond! Aligning Local, State & Federal Dollars for a Resilient Watershed,” high-ranking federal and state officials will discuss funding opportunities and restraints for water projects.

The discussion will feature:

• Gary Bardini, Deputy Director, Integrated Water Management, California Department of Water Resources.
• Jacklynn L. Gould, Deputy Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region
• Moderator: Ron Sullivan, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority Commissioner & OWOW Convener

The 2017 Santa Ana River Watershed Conference will be held on May 25 in Ontario, California. The one-day event will be convened by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and coordinated by the Water Education Foundation. Themed, 21st Century Water Strategy: Working Together to Make a Finite Resource Infinite, the conference is expected to draw more than 200 attendees from across the watershed and California.

Click here for more information and to register online.

A limited number of scholarships to attend the conference are available for low-income community members in the watershed and nonprofits that work in the watershed. Click here for an application or contact Kasey Chong for more information.