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Before the construction of Hoover Dam on the lower Colorado River, as well as a slew of smaller sisters downstream, the stretch downriver served as a biological oasis in the middle of the unrelenting Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The marshes and backwaters along the river’s edge provided sheltered areas for fish to spawn and rear their young, and mesquite and cottonwood-willow forests provided important habitat for numerous species of birds and other animals.

Time is running out to register for next week’s Water 101 Workshop and go beyond recent national headlines to gain a deeper understanding of how water is managed and moved across California. Plus, only a handful of spots remain for the opportunity to extend your ‘beyond the headlines’ water education experience on our Central Valley Tour! And come one, come all to our annual Open House & Reception on May 1.  

Alfred E. Smith II, a Southern California water law attorney and an alumnus of the Water Education Foundation’s Water Leaders program, has been elected president of the Foundation’s board of directors.

As chair of Nossaman LLP’s Water Group and a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Smith serves as general counsel to several Southern California water districts and represents clients on water rights, groundwater adjudications, water contamination litigation and remediation matters.

Go beyond the recent headlines and gain a deeper understanding of how water flows across California during our Water 101 Workshop on April 10. If you join our Central Valley Tour happening April 23-25, you can stand atop Terminus Dam where the federal government released water from Lake Kaweah in late January.

The Water Education Foundation, which celebrated its 48^th birthday this week, is proud to be the only organization in California providing comprehensive, unbiased information about the most critical resource across the West. We provide myriad resources to help put issues in context and to inspire a deep understanding of and appreciation for water, including educational materials, tours of key watersheds, water news, water leadership training and events that bring together diverse voices.

Register today for the return of our Bay-Delta Tour May 7-9 as we venture into the most critical and controversial water region in California. Get a firsthand look at the state’s vital water hub and hear directly from experts on key issues affecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay.

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 is affecting water quality and supply that serves local farms, cities and habitat. Much of the water also 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.

Happy New Year to all the friends, supporters, readers and participants of the tours, articles and workshops we featured in 2024! We’re grateful to each and every person who engaged with us last year.

As we turn the page to 2025, one of our most exciting projects will be a first-ever Klamath River Basin Tour in September. We’ll visit some of the sites where four dams came down along the river’s mainstem, and talk to tribes and farmers in the region and learn from scientists watching the river’s restoration unfold.

While most of our tours span three days, this one will likely stretch to four or possibly five days to accommodate the time to get to this remote watershed straddling the California/Oregon border. Stay tuned for more details!

Our array of 2025 programming begins later this month when we welcome our incoming California Water Leaders cohort. We’ll be sure to introduce them to you and let you know what thorny California water policy issue they’ll be tackling.

In March, we return to the Southwest’s most important river with our Lower Colorado River Tour, and the bus is quickly filling up! We then journey across the San Joaquin Valley on our Central Valley Tour in April and take a deep dive into California’s water hub in May with our signature Bay-Delta Tour.  

The Foundation’s 2025 programming calendar begins in just a few months and is packed with engaging tours, workshops and conferences on key water topics in California and across the West. Seating is limited and tickets go quickly for all our programs, so mark your calendar now so you don’t miss out!

Current Foundation member organizations receive access to coveted sponsorships opportunities for our tours and events, which are all prime networking opportunities for the water professionals in attendance! Contact Nick Gray for more information.

Lower Colorado River Tour: March 12-14

Be sure to catch the return of our annual Lower Colorado River Tour as we take you from Hoover Dam to the U.S.-Mexico border and through the Imperial and Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”

Following the river as it winds through Nevada, Arizona and California, the tour explores infrastructure, farming regions, wildlife refuges and the Salton Sea. Experts discuss river issues, such as water needs, drought management, endangered species and habitat restoration. Get more tour details and register here!