In this issue:

• Mark your calendars now for great Foundation programming in early 2023
• We’re hiring a new News & Publications Director
• Latest Western Water article examines the struggle for solutions on a shrinking Colorado River
• Time is running out to take advantage of a holiday special on a California water book 

Save the Dates for Water 101 Workshop & Lower Colorado River Tour

As this year comes to a close, it means 2023 programming is right around the corner at the Foundation beginning with our Water 101 Workshop + optional 1-day tour February 23 & 24.

One of our most popular annual events, the workshop is hosted at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and details the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics of the moment. It serves as a great primer on the state’s most precious natural resource for water resource industry staff, engineering and environmental firm personnel, city council members, county supervisors, legislators, legislative staff, press, advocates, attorneys, environmentalists, public interest organizations, water district directors and others.

Don’t miss the return of our annual Lower Colorado River Tour March 8-10 as we take you from Hoover Dam to the Mexican border and through the Imperial and Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”

Following the course of the lower Colorado River through Nevada, Arizona and California, the tour explores infrastructure, farming regions, wildlife refuges and the Salton Sea while discussing water needs in the Lower Basin, drought management, endangered species and habitat restoration.

Registration for both programs will open soon! In the meantime, make sure you’ll be among the first to find out when it does by signing up for Foundation announcements.

We’re Hiring a News & Publications Director!

The Water Education Foundation has a full-time opening for an experienced, energetic and motivated News & Publications Director who can elevate our online and print publications with sharp editing, innovative storytelling and a passion for clearly explaining the complexities and nuances of water resource issues.

We are looking for a veteran journalist who is a strong editor with fluency in digital media (including website management and social media). This position oversees our staff writer and is responsible for producing monthly articles examining water issues in California and the Colorado River Basin, managing our weekday water news feed and posting breaking news and other news on social media.

Apply by Jan. 6, 2023, to be considered in the first round of applications. For more information, check out our job posting here. 

Latest Western Water Article Examines How Water Interests are Struggling to Find Solutions to a Shrinking Colorado River

When the Colorado River Compact was signed 100 years ago, the negotiators for seven Western states bet that the river they were dividing would have ample water to meet everyone’s needs – even those not seated around the table. A century later, it’s clear the water they bet on is not there. Climate change is rendering the basin drier, shrinking spring runoff that’s vital for river flows, farms, tribes and cities across the basin – and essential for refilling reservoirs.

The latest article in Western Water examines how previous assumptions of the river’s yield and the rules governing how it gets divvyed up are being revised to reflect the West’s new hydrology. The states that endorsed the Colorado River Compact in 1922 – and the tribes and nation of Mexico that were excluded from the table – are now straining to find, and perhaps more importantly accept, solutions on a river that may offer just half of the water that the Compact assumed would be available. 

Time is Running Out to Get 50% Off “Water & the Shaping of California”  

Time is running out to get a sweet holiday deal on our paperback “Water & the Shaping of California,” a treasure-trove of gorgeous color photos, historic maps, water literature and famous sayings about water that can be yours for just $17.50 – a 50% discount.

“Water & the Shaping of California” discusses the engineering feats, political decisions and popular opinions that reshaped nature and society, leading to the water projects that created the California we know today. 

This book normally retails for $35, but you can get it for just $17.50, plus tax and shipping. Use the discount code HOLIDAY2022 at checkout to get your 50% discount. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in water in California. Order by Dec. 15 to make sure it arrives in time for Christmas.