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! 

Sign up here to get announcements sent to your inbox.

Announcement

Register Now for Popular Water 101 Workshop to Gain A Firm Grounding in California Water
Feb. 7th workshop in Sacramento to include optional one-day Groundwater Tour

The 2018 Water 101 workshop at McGeorge School of Law. Register now for one of our most popular events – Water 101, which for the first time will include an optional daylong tour examining one of California’s most critical resources, groundwater.

Water 101, to be held Feb. 7 at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, details the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics currently facing the state. Taught by some of California’s leading policy and legal experts, the workshop gives attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resource.

Announcement

Visit Lake Mead And Hear Firsthand About Major Drought Plans During Colorado River Tour in Late February
Lower Colorado River Tour brings hot topics to life with stops at Hoover Dam, Salton Sea, farms and wildlife areas

Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.Hear firsthand about recent efforts to reach agreement on a drought contingency plan and see the bathtub ring around Lake Mead, now only 38 percent full after 19 years of drought, during our Lower Colorado River Tour Feb. 27 – March 1.

As the tour weaves along the Colorado River, participants will see and learn about the important role water from the river plays in the three Lower Basin states of Nevada, Arizona and California, and how it helps to sustain their cities, farms and wildlife areas.

Announcement

2018 Water Leaders Class Releases Policy Recommendations for Improving Water Management Through Data

DWR's Greg Gearheart with members of the 2018 Water Leaders class at their orientation.The 2018 Water Leaders class organized by the Water Education Foundation completed its year with a report outlining policy recommendations for improving water management through data.

The class of 22 from various stakeholder groups and backgrounds that hailed from cities and towns across California - including one from Nevada – had full editorial control to choose recommendations.

Announcement

Last Chance: These Holiday Deals on Water Knowledge End At Midnight
50% off Water & the Shaping of California; 20% off maps, guides, teacher resources; $15 off Water More or Less

Don’t miss this last chance to score a sweet holiday deal for anyone interested in water in California and the Southwest: The paperback “Water & the Shaping of California,” a treasure trove of gorgeous color photos, historic maps, water literature and famous sayings about water for just $17.50 — a 50% discount

That is just one of the special holiday deals from the Foundation. We’re also offering a 20% discount on our popular water maps, guides, teacher resources and more, and $15 off copies of “Water More or Less.” 

Announcement

Groundwater a Major Focus of Water 101 Workshop in February
Feb. 7 workshop includes session on groundwater and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act; optional groundwater tour held the next day

Our popular Water 101 Workshop is a once-a-year opportunity to get a solid grounding on the history, legal and regulatory facets of California’s most precious natural resource.

Our Feb. 7 workshop in Sacramento will feature a special focus on groundwater, which provides roughly 40 percent of the state’s water supply in an average year and much more during drought years when creeks, rivers and reservoirs are strapped. 

Announcement

Travel Along the ‘Lifeline of the Southwest’ on the Lower Colorado River Tour
Join us Feb. 27-March 1 as we explore Hoover Dam, wildlife refuges, farming regions and the Salton Sea

Tickets are on sale for the Water Education Foundation’s Lower Colorado River Tour Feb. 27–March 1. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to visit key sites along one of the nation’s most famous rivers, including a private tour of Hoover Dam, Central Arizona Project’s Mark Wilmer pumping plant and the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge.

The tour also visits the beginning of the Colorado River Aqueduct, the Salton Sea, the All-American Canal and agricultural regions in the Imperial, Palo Verde and Coachella valleys.

Announcement

Latest Western Water News Examines Rising Tide of Women in Water Leadership Posts
Since late 2017, women have taken leading roles at Reclamation, DWR, Metropolitan Water District and other key water agencies

In the world of water, 2018 could easily be called the “Year of the Woman,” with noteworthy appointments of women to top leadership posts in California and at the national level.

Women have had their hands in water issues for a long time, but their growing presence has been spotlighted by those key appointments and the understanding that, in what’s traditionally been a male-dominated field, women are seizing the opportunity to contribute to the discussion and have their voices heard.

Announcement

Starts Today! 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 50 percent off the paperback Water & the Shaping of California, a treasure trove of gorgeous color photos, water literature and famous sayings about water.

This beautifully designed oversize book discusses the engineering feats, political decisions and popular opinion that reshaped the nature – flood and drought – and society – gold, grain and growth – that led to the water projects that created the California 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

Latest Science in Long-Range Storm Prediction Highlighted at Dec. 5 Workshop in Irvine
Irvine workshop among upcoming Foundation events and tours; Apply for Water Leaders program by Dec. 4

Carr Fire burn area near Redding , Calif.Will El Niño rescue California’s winter after a very dry fall? Can the state bank on atmospheric rivers of storms to refill its reservoirs? How far can forecasters peer into the future to gauge what’s ahead for the 2019 winter?

A one-day workshop Dec. 5 in Irvine cosponsored by the Foundation and the California Department of Water Resources will feature experts from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, DWR and the Western Regional Climate Center discussing the state of the science in long-range forecasting – critical for managing water supplies — and what may be ahead for this winter. Here’s where to sign up for Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine.

The Irvine workshop is one of several Foundation events and tours planned over the next few months.

Announcement

Innovative Effort to Engage With Disadvantaged Communities In Santa Ana Watershed Highlighted At March 29 Event
Sponsor, exhibit or apply for a scholarship to attend Santa Ana River Watershed Conference

A multipronged effort to engage with economically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities in the Santa Ana River watershed to learn what their water needs are and how those needs could be met will be highlighted March 29 at the Santa Ana River Watershed Conference in Orange County.

An array of speakers will discuss the innovative work they’ve been doing, some of the things they’ve learned and tools they’ve developed during a panel discussion at the daylong event, Moving Forward Together: From Planning to Action Across the Watershed, being held at Cal State Fullerton.

Announcement

On Giving Tuesday, Help Support Efforts to Teach the Next Generation about California’s Most Precious Natural Resource
Project WET trains teachers across the state to bring lessons on water into the classroom

Educating the next generation about one of the most precious resources in California – and on the planet – is a key part of the Water Education Foundation’s mission through Project WET (Water Education for Teachers).Please help us continue that work by giving back on Giving Tuesday.

Announcement

Experts to Discuss El Nino, Atmospheric Rivers and Long-Range Weather Forecasting Dec. 5 in Irvine
Agenda now online for ‘Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine’ workshop

Flooded farm propertyForecasters are usually on the mark when predicting what tomorrow’s weather will bring. But can we ever get accurate precipitation forecasts — critical for managing water supplies — weeks to months in advance?

At Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine, a one-day workshop Dec. 5 in Irvine, scientists from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Western Regional Climate Center and the California Department of Water Resources will offer insights into the latest research on improving long-range weather forecasting and what it means for water management.

Announcement

2019 Water Tour Dates and Locations Announced
Registration open for Lower Colorado River and Central Valley Tours; New tour of Central Coast added

Headwaters Tour participants hike through a meadow to examine water resources.Our slate of water tours for 2019 will include a new tour along the Central Coast to view a river where a dam was removed, check out efforts to desalt ocean water, recycle wastewater and manage groundwater and seawater intrusion. We’ll also take a new route for our Headwaters Tour to check out a pilot project for thinning the forest in the Yuba River Watershed.

Registration is already open for our Lower Colorado River Tour and our Central Valley Tour.

Announcement

Members of our Water Leaders Class Gain Deeper Understanding of Statewide Water Issues
Apply for 2019 Water Leaders Class By Dec. 4

Our yearlong Water Leaders program is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of California water issues by attending water tours, studying a topic in-depth and working with a mentor. 

You can apply for the 2019 class today; the deadline is Dec. 4. Download an application here. Make sure to read tips on applying first.

Members of the Water Leaders class:

Announcement

NASA JPL and Scripps Experts to Address Improving Long-Range Weather Forecasts at Irvine Workshop
Agenda for Dec. 5 ‘Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine’ workshop now online

Tomorrow’s weather forecast may be spot on, but can we ever get accurate precipitation forecasts weeks to months in advance?

At Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine, a one-day workshop Dec. 5 in Irvine, scientists from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Western Regional Climate Center and the California Department of Water Resources will offer insights into the latest research on improving long-range weather forecasting and what it means for water management.

Announcement

Registration Now Open for Water 101 Workshop
Feb. 7th workshop in Sacramento to include optional one-day Groundwater Tour

The 2018 Water 101 workshop at McGeorge School of Law. Registration is now open for one of our most popular events – Water 101, which for the first time will include an optional daylong tour examining one of California’s most critical resources, groundwater.

Water 101, to be held Feb. 7 at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, details the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics currently facing the state. Taught by some of California’s leading policy and legal experts, the workshop gives attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resource.

Announcement

Water Leaders Program Pairs Class Members with Experts in Policy, Management and Science
Apply By Dec. 4 for the 2019 Water Leaders Class

Members of  2018 Water Leaders class on Bay-Delta Tour in May.Our one-year Water Leaders program gets you out of the office and into the field – whether it’s on one of our water tours to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or the lower Colorado River, or meeting with your assigned mentor.

Mentors play an important role in the program as they conduct a shadow day with class members and help to shape ideas for the class project on a key water topic. The project is turned into a report with policy recommendations that is presented to the Water Education Foundation’s Board of Directors toward the end of the year. 

Announcement

Can El Niño Tell Us Anything About What’s Ahead for Water Year 2019?
Learn what is and isn't known about forecasting Water Year 2019 at Dec. 5 workshop in Irvine

Nimbus Dam winter releasesJust because El Niño may be lurking off in the tropical Pacific, does that really offer much of a clue about what kind of rainy season California can expect in Water Year 2019?

Will a river of storms pound the state, swelling streams and packing the mountains with deep layers of heavy snow much like the exceptionally wet 2017 Water Year (Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017)? Or will this winter sputter along like last winter, leaving California with a second dry year and the possibility of another potential drought? What can reliably be said about the prospects for Water Year 2019?

At Water Year 2019: Feast or Famine?, a one-day event on Dec. 5 in Irvine, water managers and anyone else interested in this topic will learn about what is and isn’t known about forecasting California’s winter precipitation weeks to months ahead, the skill of present forecasts and ongoing research to develop predictive ability.

Announcement

Only a Few Tickets Remain for the Final Water Tour of 2018 Exploring San Joaquin River Restoration
See firsthand the effort to revive salmon runs on the San Joaquin River Nov. 7-8

A few tickets are still available for our Nov. 7-8 San Joaquin River Restoration Tour, a rare opportunity to see firsthand the progress toward restoring populations of spawning salmon to the river.

The San Joaquin River was the focus of one of the most contentious legal battles in California water history related to providing in-stream flows for fish, leading to the creation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program.

Announcement

Latest Western Water Article Looks at How Court Decision Could Affect Groundwater Pumping in California
Pumping near Scott River in Siskiyou County sparks appellate case that extends public trust to some groundwater; explore maps and guides to learn more

In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling forced Los Angeles to reduce its take of water from Eastern Sierra creeks that fed Mono Lake. It marked a dramatic shift in California water law by extending the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that fed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves are not. 

Some 35 years later, an appellate court in Sacramento for the first time has concluded that the same public trust doctrine used in the Mono Lake decision also applies to groundwater feeding the navigable Scott River in a picturesque corner of far Northern California.