Announcements

Overview

Foundation News

Find out what the Water Education Foundation is up to with announcements about upcoming events, tours, new Western Water articles on key water topics and more! 

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Announcement

Registration Open for First Water Tour of 2025; Save the Dates for Other Tours & Workshops

In case you missed it, registration for our first water tour of 2025 along the Colorado River opened last week and the bus is filling up quickly! Seating is limited, so reserve your spot soon while tickets last.

Lower Colorado River Tour: March 12-14

Don’t miss the return of our annual Lower Colorado River Tour as we take you from Hoover Dam to the U.S.-Mexico border and through the Imperial and Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.” Experts discuss river issues such as water needs, drought management, endangered species and habitat restoration. Get more tour details and register here!

Announcement

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 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, among other tasks.

Announcement

2024 Water Leaders Cohort Releases Groundwater Sustainability Policy Recommendations

2024 Water Leaders CohortOur 2024 California Water Leaders cohort completed its year with a report on its policy recommendations for ensuring the state’s over-pumped groundwater basins reach sustainability under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

The landmark law known as SGMA turned 10 in 2024 as many of the state’s sustainability plans were moving into implementation. The goal is for those basins to become sustainable by 2040 or 2042.

The Water Leaders cohort of 20 up-and-coming leaders – engineers, attorneys, planners, scientists, water managers and other professionals from water-related organizations – worked collaboratively and had full editorial control on the report. 

Announcement

Registration Now Open for 2025 Lower Colorado River Tour
Save the Dates for Other 2025 Tours & Workshops

The Foundation’s 2025 programming calendar begins in just a few months and is packed with engaging tours, workshops and conferences on key water topics in California and across the West. Seating is limited and tickets go quickly for all our programs, so mark your calendar now so you don’t miss out!

Current Foundation member organizations receive access to coveted sponsorships opportunities for our tours and events, which are all prime networking opportunities for the water professionals in attendance! Contact Nick Gray for more information.

Lower Colorado River Tour: March 12-14

Be sure to catch the return of our annual Lower Colorado River Tour as we take you from Hoover Dam to the U.S.-Mexico border and through the Imperial and Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”

Following the river as it winds through Nevada, Arizona and California, the tour explores infrastructure, farming regions, wildlife refuges and the Salton Sea. Experts discuss river issues, such as water needs, drought management, endangered species and habitat restoration. Get more tour details and register here!

Announcement

Giving Tuesday is Your Chance to Support Water Education in California and the West
Our programs help empower teachers and the next generation of leaders in water

Today on Giving Tuesday, a global day of philanthropy, you can support impartial education and informed decision-making on water resources in California and the West by making a tax-deductible donation to the Water Education Foundation.

Your support ensures that our legacy of producing in-depth news, educational workshops and accessible and reliable information on water reaches new heights in 2025.

Announcement

There’s Still Time! Support the Water Education Foundation on Giving Tuesday
Your Support Makes a Critical Impact on Water Education in California and the West

Since 1977, the Water Education Foundation has worked to inspire better understanding and catalyze critical conversations about our most vital natural resource: water.

This is not a mission our impartial nonprofit can carry out alone.

Today on Giving Tuesday, a global day of philanthropy, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support the important work we do to provide impartial education and foster informed decision-making on water issues in California and the West.

Announcement

Sweet Holiday Deals for the Water Wonk in Your Life
50% off Water & the Shaping of California; 20% off maps, Layperson’s Guides, teacher resources

Here’s a sweet deal for the holidays: Get 20 percent off our popular water maps and guides and get even more – 50 percent – off the paperback Water & the Shaping of California.

The beautifully designed book is a treasure trove of gorgeous color photos, water literature and famous sayings about water. It discusses the engineering feats, political decisions and popular sentiment that led to the water projects that helped make California the economic powerhouse we know today. The book includes a foreword by the late Kevin Starr, the Golden State’s premier historian.

This book normally retails for $35, but you can get it for a limited time for just $17.50. Use the discount code HOLIDAYBOOK at checkout to get your 50 percent discount. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in water in California.

Announcement

Apply for 2025 Water Leaders; Save the Dates for Early 2025 Programs; Buy Gifts for the Water Wonk in Your Life!
Registration Opens Dec. 12 for Lower Colorado River Tour

As we wrap up our year at the Water Education Foundation, we are busy looking ahead to our 2025 slate of engaging tours, workshops and conferences on key water topics in California and across the West. Make sure to save the dates below!

Meanwhile, as we approach the holidays, we want to remind everyone:

  • Applications for our 2025 California Water Leaders cohort are due Dec. 5. Don’t forget to view a video of a Q&A session for a program overview and tips on making a strong application for the competitive program.
  • We will soon announce a holiday sale of our popular maps and guides on key water regions and topics so you can get gifts for the water wonk in your life. Stay tuned!
  • Giving Tuesday is right after Thanksgiving and a national day to support nonprofits. We’ll be sure to let you know how to support water education in the West on that day.
Announcement

Get Tips to Apply for 2025 California Water Leaders Cohort; Apps Due Dec. 5

Water Leaders logoIf you are an up-and-coming leader in the water world who is thinking about applying for our 2025 California Water Leaders cohort, you can view a virtual Q&A session to get tips on applying for the competitive program.

During the session, Jenn Bowles, our executive director, and other Water Education Foundation team members provided an overview of the program and gave advice on submitting an application by Dec. 5, 2024.

Announcement

Colorado River Water Leaders Release Recommendations for Augmentation Projects

The 2024 Colorado River Water Leaders cohort completed its seven-month program with policy recommendations involving ”augmentation” – projects that increase the availability and supply of water – as the Colorado River Basin grows hotter and drier.

The cohort of 12 up-and-coming leaders included engineers, lawyers, resource specialists and others working for public, private and non-governmental organizations from across the river’s basin. The cohort had full editorial control to choose its recommendations.

Announcement

Water Education Foundation Honors SJV Water Founder & Journalist Lois Henry
Henry is third recipient of Rita Schmidt Sudman Award for Excellence in Water Journalism

Lois Henry, a journalist who launched SJV Water as a nonprofit news site devoted to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, was named the 2024 recipient of the Water Education Foundation’s Rita Schmidt Sudman Award for Excellence in Water Journalism.

Henry said she was honored to receive the award, which acknowledges outstanding work that illuminates complicated water issues in California and the West.

“I’m grateful and humbled to receive this recognition,” Henry said. “Water is such an arcane and politically rife topic. We really strive to explain what’s happening in layman’s terms and walk an unbiased line. So, it’s exciting to know our work has hit the mark and provided value to our readers.”

Announcement

Last Call for Tickets to Oct. 30 Water Summit & Coveted Sponsor Spots
Registration Closes Friday for Foundation's Premier Annual Event

Registration closes Friday for our 2024 Water Summit, set for next Wednesday, Oct. 30, in downtown Sacramento with conversations focused on our theme, Reflecting on Silver Linings in Western Water.

Get your ticket to our premier annual event by Friday at 5 p.m. Foundation members can take advantage of a $100 discount on registration!

LAST CALL FOR SPONSORS! This event is a prime networking opportunity for the water professionals in attendance and general sponsorship opportunities are still available, but this Thursday is the deadline to grab a coveted sponsor spot! View details of the various sponsorship levels and benefits here.

Announcement

Join Folks From Across the Water Community at our Water Summit Plus Hear From Water Artists & Celebrate Our Water Journalist of the Year

Our Water Summit on Oct. 30 will take a deep dive on issues critical to our most precious natural resource in the West but it’s so much more.

During our event, you’ll also have a chance to network with people from across the water community from municipal water agencies to irrigation districts, farming and lending organizations to state and federal agencies that manage or regulate water to environmental and other nonprofit organizations.

Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, will deliver the opening keynote and participants will be treated later in the day to a presentation by visual artists whose work seeks to expand perspectives on how we relate to water.

Announcement

Water Leader Apps Now Available for 2025 Cohort; Agenda Posted for Water Summit, Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

2025 Water Leader Applications Now Open

Are you an up-and-coming leader in the water world? Applications are now available for our 2025 California Water Leaders cohort, and are due no later than Dec. 5, 2024.

If interested in applying, start by checking out the program requirements. Make sure you have the time to commit to the program next year and approval from your organization to apply.

Announcement

Speaker List Grows for Oct. 30 Water Summit in Sacramento
Exclusive Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available; Last Call for Northern California Tour

Northern California Tour Nearly Sold Out!

Only a few seats are left on the bus for our Northern California Tour on Oct. 16-18 that explores the Sacramento Valley from Sacramento to Redding with visits to Oroville and Shasta dams!

Don’t miss this scenic journey through riparian woodland, rice fields, nut orchards and wildlife refuges while learning from experts about the history of the Sacramento River. Grab your ticket here before they’re gone!

Announcement

DWR Director Karla Nemeth to Keynote Water Summit; Application Window Opens Soon for 2025 California Water Leaders

Visit Shasta & Oroville Dams; Learn about Park Fire Impacts Firsthand during NorCal Tour

Only a few seats are left on the bus for our Northern California Tour October 16-18 that journeys across the Sacramento Valley from Sacramento to Redding with visits to Oroville and Shasta dams!

New Tour Stop! This year’s tour includes a stop at Battle Creek where participants will learn firsthand how the Park Fire, California’s fourth-largest wildfire on record, could push already threatened Chinook salmon populations closer to extinction by burning through tributaries to the Sacramento River that provide critical spawning habitat.

Don’t miss this scenic journey through riparian woodland, rice fields, nut orchards and wildlife refuges while learning from experts about the history of the Sacramento River. Grab your ticket here before they’re gone!

Announcement

Seize a Coveted Sponsor Spot for Oct. 30 Water Summit; Claim One of the Few Remaining Seats on October NorCal Tour

Water Summit: Exclusive Sponsorship Opportunities Available

In case you missed the news last week, you can now register for the Water Education Foundation’s 40ᵗʰ annual Water Summit to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Sacramento, with the theme, Reflecting on Silver Linings in Western Water.

Announcement

Registration Now Open for Annual Water Summit
One-day conference on Oct. 30 is the Foundation's premier annual event; Grab one of the last tickets for Northern California Tour

Water Summit: October 30

You can now register for the Water Education Foundation’s 40ᵗʰ annual Water Summit! The one-day conference will feature leading policymakers and experts sharing the latest information and insights on water in California and the West. The event includes lunch and an evening reception for networking with speakers and fellow attendees from a variety of backgrounds.

The Water Summit will be held Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Sacramento, with the theme, Reflecting on Silver Linings in Western Water. Speakers and conversations will focus on the promising advances that have developed from myriad challenges faced in managing the West’s most precious natural resource.

Announcement

Plan Now to Attend our Popular Fall Programs; Sign Up for our Weekday Water Newsfeed
Seats Going Fast for Northern California Tour; Registration for Annual Water Summit Opens Soon

It may be the dog days of summer but it’s a busy time at the Water Education Foundation as we prep for our fall events! 

  • Space is becoming limited for one of our most popular water excursions, the three-day Northern California Tour in mid-October.
  • Registration opens in just a few weeks for our premier annual event, the Water Summit, on Oct. 30 in Sacramento. Make sure you’re among the first to know this year’s theme by signing up for Foundation announcements.
  • While you’re signing up for announcements, you can also sign up for our weekday water newsfeed known as Aquafornia to help you stay in the know.
Announcement

Last Call to Register for July 24-25 Sierra Headwaters Tour Exploring Role of Forest Management in Watershed Health
Reserve your Spot by July 12; Stops Include Forest Research Station & Restoration Pilot Project

Much of California’s water supply originates in the Sierra Nevada, making it dependent on the health of forests. But those forests are suffering from widespread tree mortality and other ecosystem degradation resulting mostly from the growing frequency and severity of droughts and wildfires.

On our Headwaters Tour July 24-25, we will visit Eldorado and Tahoe national forests to learn about new forest management practices, including wildfire prevention and recovery.