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Attending our March 17 Executive
Briefing is more than just hearing in-depth discussions on
the hottest water topics. Besides a hosted reception afterward,
you get the chance to bid on some fun events, outings and baskets
of food grown in California during an auction that benefits the
Water Education Foundation’s Water
Leaders program.
Sign-ups are underway for the Foundation’s April 13-15
Central Valley Tour,
which gives participants a better understanding of water use and
issues in the San Joaquin Valley as they weave through the
nation’s breadbasket.
The tour visits farms and major infrastructure, such as Friant
Dam near Fresno and San Luis Reservoir, the nation’s largest
off-stream reservoir in the United States and a key water
facility serving both the State Water Project and the federal
Central Valley Project.
Karen Ross, California’s food and agricultural chief, and Lester
Snow, former Natural Resources Secretary, are among the key
speakers at an international groundwater conference this summer
in San Francisco.
This annual must-attend event
features provocative discussions examining the new normal – how
climate change will impact the hydrology of water supplies in the
West – Delta tunnels, SGMA: Part Two, and more.
The Water Education Foundation’s annual flagship event will
be held March 17, 2016 in Sacramento. The theme for this year’s
Executive Briefing is “Defining the New Normal.”
What will happen with water year 2016? Reservoirs were at record
lows. Recent precipitation has boosted storage levels but will it
be enough? What is the operation plan for the state and federal
water projects?
Early bird prices end Tuesday for our upcoming Lower Colorado River
Tour, lauded for its broad range of speakers on issues key to
the “lifeblood of the Southwest” as the three-day tour winds
through Nevada, Arizona and California.
In addition to meeting with water experts across the Southwest
and touring key infrastructure such as Hoover Dam, the tour
offers some recreational and cultural attractions.
Take the mystery out of how water laws are developed and discover
how legislation involving key water issues evolves through the
California Legislature during our upcoming Water 101 Workshop in
West Sacramento on Feb. 4.
Dennis O’Connor, Principal Consultant for the Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and Water, will also give the latest
information on water-related bills, including the potential for a
public good charge on water and those connected to the
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Financing water infrastructure, implementing the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act, the latest developments on the
Bay-Delta and new climate change research are all topics of
discussion at the 33rd Annual Executive Briefing on March 17 in
Sacramento.
“Defining the New Normal” – the conference theme – will feature
some top speakers, including State Water Board Chair Felicia
Marcus.
A select group of young professionals from a variety
of water stakeholder groups were chosen to
participate in the 2016 class of the highly respected William R. Gianelli Water Leaders program
put on by the Water Education Foundation.
The yearlong program begins Jan. 28 in Sacramento at the
Foundation’s office.
California’s complicated water rights system was highlighted
in the last few years as water rights were curtailed by state
regulators due to the drought. That action prompted some
water rights holders to go to court to retain their rights.
Others called for a revamping of the water rights system all
together.
Arguments aside, what’s the difference between a senior water
right and a junior water right as highlighted in many news
articles? Or a riparian right and an appropriative right? And how
are they determined?
When you hop on a Water Education Foundation tour bus, you get a
special behind-the-scenes look at water facilities and properties
not open to the general public. On our March 2-4 Lower Colorado River
Tour you will not only get a private tour of Hoover Dam, but
you also will be among the first to set foot in the dam’s new
Nevada Spillway House.
With the warmest year on record just behind us, what lies ahead?
That’s the question climate scientist Brad Udall will discuss at
the Water Education Foundation’s March 17 Executive
Briefing in Sacramento.
In his presentation, “Thriving During Climate and Water Change:
Strategies for the 21st Century,” Udall will address research
findings related to how climate change will impact the hydrology
of water supplies in the West and the projected impacts on people
and the ecosystem.
Key Issues surrounding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – the
proposed tunnels, ecosystem restoration, water quality standards
and water agencies’ attempts to buy some Delta islands – will
be discussed at the Water Education Foundation’s 33rd
annual Executive
Briefing.
As 2016 began, Lake Mead’s level of almost 1,082 feet was a
scant seven feet above the first trigger point for a
shortage determination for the year. Thus, Arizona and Nevada
barely escaped seeing their water supplies cut back this year.
But there is an 18 percent probability of a shortage in 2017.
With the Colorado River suffering through a 16-year dry period,
drought-response activities have become the standard in water
management in the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and
Nevada.
Learn from top experts at our Water 101 Workshop in February
about the history, hydrology and water law behind California
water as well as hot topics such as groundwater, the Delta and
storage being funded by $2.7 billion from Prop. 1.
Check out the
agenda for the one-day workshop on February 4, with an
optional second, half day.
The staff at the Water Education
Foundation would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!
We are excited about 2016 and have some great events
happening this year.
Our popular Water 101 Workshop
is fast-approaching in early February in the Sacramento area.
This once-a-year event is a great opportunity for anyone who
wants to go beyond the headlines and gain a deeper understanding
of the history, hydrology and legal system behind California
water. The daylong workshop has an optional second, half day.
The Layperson’s Guide to California Water, the anchor of the
Water Education Foundation’s popular series of Layperson’s
Guides, has just been updated and published.
“We felt an update was in order, given all of the developments
over the past couple of years – the drought, the water bond and
the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” said Jennifer
Bowles, Foundation executive director.
The 33rd annual Executive
Briefing, Defining the New Normal, will feature a
lineup of top speakers, including State Water Board Chair Felicia
Marcus.
The Briefing will be at a new location this year – the
DoubleTree by Hilton Sacramento, 2001 Point West Way, in
Sacramento. The latest information on implementation of the
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the future of the
Delta are two of the topics to be discussed by panels of experts
from a broad point of views.
Tickets are now on sale for the Water Education Foundation’s
March 2-4 tour of the Lower Colorado River.
Don’t miss this opportunity to visit key sites along the
“lifeblood of the Southwest,” including a private tour of Hoover
Dam, Central Arizona Project’s Mark Wilmer pumping
plant, the Havasu National Wildlife refuge. The tour also
visits the Salton Sea and farming regions in the Imperial and
Coachella valleys.
