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.
The Water Education Foundation’s
just-released 2022 Annual Report recaps how
we returned to hosting in-person events and tours and
expanded our programs across the West as the global pandemic
began to wane early in the year.
Our Headwaters TouronJune 21-22 returns in
person for the first time in four years and seats are filling up
quickly! Don’t miss your chance to venture from the
foothills of the Sierra Nevada to Lake Tahoe to examine
water issues happening upstream that can dramatically affect
communities downstream and throughout the state.
The Water Education Foundation’s
Board of Directors and staff want
to thank the dozens of donors in the water community and beyond
for their strong show of support on the May 4 Big Day of Giving.
We surpassed our $10,000 campaign goal with a total of $11,092 in
contributions in the 24-hour regional fundraising event.
Special thanks to alumni of our Water
Leaders programs for drumming up support and chipping
in.
Today is Big Day of Giving, and your donation can
help the Water Education Foundation continue its work to enhance
public understanding about water in California and across the
West.
Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour regional fundraising event that
has profound benefits for our programs and publications that
educate about hot topics in water, such as drought, floods,
groundwater, headwaters and more in California and the Colorado
River Basin.
On Big Day of Giving, you can show your
love by helping the Water Education Foundation continue to
be a go-to resource for in-depth, impartial information about
water in California and the West.
We are midway through Big Day of Giving, a 24-hour regional
fundraising event that benefits our programs to educate about
floods, drought, groundwater, climate change and more.
Big
Day of Giving is nearly over but you still have
until midnight to show your love for the Water Education
Foundation’s events, publications and programs with a donation to
our
campaign page.
Don’t miss your opportunity to put your feet on the ground
this spring in regions critical to California’s water story.
Plus, you can meet our team in person at our annual
open house to learn more about how we educate and
foster understanding of California’s most precious natural
resource — water! And check out our latest Western Water
news article that explores how states in the upper watershed of
the Colorado River are trying to strengthen their negotiating
position as severe water cuts loom amid shrinking reservoirs and
persistent drought.
There is no need to wait to show
your love for the Water Education Foundation! Starting today you
can schedule your donation for Big Day of Giving on our
campaign page. If you prefer the thrill of watching us reach
our $10,000 goal in real time you can donate any time on May 4.
Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour online giving marathon for
nonprofits in the Sacramento region where we are based. However,
while Big Day of Giving is region-focused, our campaign will
benefit our programs and publications across California
and the West.
Don’t miss your chance to go deep into California’s water hub
next month with our most popular annual tour, the Bay-Delta Tour May
17-19! Plus, registration is now open for the
return of our Headwaters Tour June
21-22, with an optional rafting trip on the American
River the day before.
Spring is a busy time at the Foundation! Don’t miss
these upcoming opportunities to visit important regions in
the state’s water story firsthand and engage directly with
experts in California water. Plus, you can meet our team in
person at our annual open house to learn more about how we
educate and foster understanding of California’s most precious
natural resource — water!
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
– Terry Fulp, who served as the Bureau of Reclamation’s
regional director for the Lower Colorado River Basin and played a
lead role in negotiating drought contingency plans, operating
guidelines and binational agreements with Mexico, was
elected president of the Water Education Foundation’s board of
directors.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is
the West Coast’s largest estuary, a vital hub in California’s
complex water delivery system and a rich farming area. But the
region faces myriad challenges.
On our annual Bay-Delta Tour May
17-19, participants will hear from a diverse group
of experts including water managers, environmentalists, farmers,
engineers and scientists who will offer various perspectives on a
proposed tunnel project that would carry water beneath the Delta,
efforts to revitalize the Delta and risks that threaten its
delicate ecological balance. You’ll also hear firsthand from
people who rely on the Pacific salmon fishery for their
livelihoods and learn why there is likely to be a fishing ban
this season despite one of the wettest winters on record in
California.
California’s climate whiplash has
been on full display in the San Joaquin Valley this winter as the
region has shifted from managing three years of drought
impacts to enduring widespread flooding following a series of
intense atmospheric rivers. Our Central Valley Tour at
the end of April is your best opportunity to
understand both the challenges and opportunities of water
management in the region.
The 3-day, 2-night tour tour weaves around and across the entire
valley to give you a firsthand look at farms, wetlands and
major infrastructure such as Friant Dam in the Sierra Nevada
foothills near Fresno and San Luis Reservoir in the
Coastal Range near Los Banos, the nation’s largest off-stream
reservoir and a key water facility serving both the State Water
Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
As the year comes to a close, so does our schedule of educational
programming with just two more virtual journeys remaining this
Thursday and next Tuesday. And don’t miss your chance this
Thursday to learn more about applying for our 2022 Water
Leaders program, now in its 25th
year.
You still have an opportunity to experience the Foundation’s remaining virtual
journeys this fall (see below) as your favorite
tour guide Nick Gray whisks you
away to explore key California rivers and water
regions. Each tour will run from 2:30-5:30 p.m.
PT and includes:
An overview presentation of the region’s
critical topics
A guided video tour of key locations — farms,
wetlands, dams and reservoirs, wildlife habitats — to gain a
stronger understanding on a variety of water supply issues and
the latest policy developments
Live Q&A with experts in chat rooms so
participants can dive deeper into the topics, including the
drought gripping California.
Join us May 4 for our annual
Open
House & Reception at our office near the Sacramento
River to meet our team and learn more about what we do to educate
and foster understanding of California’s most precious natural
resource — water!
Register today
for our most popular tour, the Bay-Delta Tour May
17-19, and join us as we venture into the most
critical and controversial water region in California, the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The 720,000-acre network of islands and channels supports
the state’s two large water systems – the State Water Project and
the federal Central Valley Project – and together with the San
Francisco Bay is an important ecological resource.
You’ll learn firsthand how the drought-to-deluge of 2023 has
affected the water quality and supply that serves local
farms, cities and habitat. Much of the water heads south via
canals and aqueducts to provide drinking water for more than 27
million Californians and irrigation to about 3 million acres of
farmland that helps feed the nation.
The feast or famine nature of
California water has never been more apparent than now. After
three years of punishing drought, the state has been slammed by a
dozen atmospheric rivers.
On our Central
Valley Tournext month, you will see the
ramifications of this nature in action. Focusing on the San
Joaquin Valley, the tour will bring you up close to farmers,
cities and disadvantaged communities as well
as managers trying to capture flood waters to augment
overpumped groundwater basins while also protecting communities
from damaging flood impacts.
Tiny pieces of plastic shed from
food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and
paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life.
Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into
municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the
scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water.
After years of planning, California is embarking on a
first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how
prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water
sources. The latest Western Water article by our
journalism team explores California’s groundbreaking program
that could help regulators determine whether microplastics
are a public health threat and lead to the world’s first standard
for microplastics in drinking water.
Join us May 4 for an open house and
reception at our office near the Sacramento River to meet our
team and learn more about what we do to educate and foster
understanding of California’s most precious natural resource —
water.
At the open house, you can enjoy refreshments and chat with our
team about our tours, conferences, maps, publications and
training programs for teachers and up-and-coming water industry
professionals. You’ll also be able to learn more about how you
can support our work – and you’ll have a chance to win prizes!
