This half-day workshop in Sacramento brought together regional water and land use leaders from across the state to discuss challenges and opportunities related to:

• Establishing governance for groundwater management
• Developing groundwater management and other water management plans
• Improving regulatory processes and securing sustainable funding – all necessary ingredients for achieving sustainable water balance

Building Capacity for Regional Sustainability in California: A Water Summit, was cosponsored by the California Department of Water Resources and the Water Education Foundation.

The workshop featured lively panel presentations and speakers, including:

• David Orth, Principal, New Current Water and Land, and Member, California Water Commission
• Celeste Cantú, General Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
• Tim O’Halloran, General Manager, Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District
• Sarge Green, Project Director, CA Water Institute at Fresno State University
• John Ricker, Water Resources Division Director, Santa Cruz County
• Jim Branham, Executive Officer, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
• Mitch Avalon, Consultant, Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
• Maria Herrera, Community Development Manager, Self-Help Enterprises, and Member, California Water Commission
• Thomas Harter, Hagan Endowed Chair in Water Management and Policy, UC Davis

After an interactive discussion attendees adjourned to a Networking Reception in the adjacent Tools Pavilion. Here attendees learned from state agency experts about tools and resources available now and in the near future.