Sierra Nevada: Aquafornia Water Word of the Week
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week from sister site Aquapedia — the Water Education Foundation’s interactive online water encyclopedia — is Sierra Nevada, which is a highlight of the Foundation’s upcoming “Sea to Sierra Water Tour: Rolling Seminar on California Water Issues.”
During the Foundation’s April 10-11 tour, travel across the state on Amtrak’s famed California Zephyr, from the edge of sparkling San Francisco Bay, through the meandering channels of the Delta, past rich Central Valley farmland, growing cities, historic mining areas and into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The tour begins at the Amtrak train station in Emeryville and ends in Reno.
To learn about the Sierra Nevada, go first to Aquapedia. According to an Aquapedia excerpt, “Stretching along the eastern edge of the state, the Sierra Nevada region incorporates more than 25 percent of California’s land area and forms one of the world’s most diverse watersheds. The Sierra Nevada is 450 miles long and 40 to 50 miles wide and includes granite cliffs, lush forests and alpine meadows on the westside, and stark desert landscapes at the base of the eastside.”
If you’d like to do more exploring of Sierra Nevada issues, Aquapedia’s entry also lists a number of resources, including “Looking to the Source: Watersheds of the Sierra Nevada,” “Where Does California’s Water Come From?” and “California Watersheds: Our Vital Link.”
Developed and managed by the Foundation, Aquapedia aims to provide teachers, students, journalists, water professionals, policymakers and the general public with balanced information on major water issues, topics and terms.