This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour. 

The tour traveled along the Lower Colorado River from Hoover Dam to the Salton Sea and the Coachella Valley. Along the way, experts discussed challenges related to what is the most contested, beloved for recreation and meticulously managed river in the United States.

Contact Nick Gray, programs manager, with any questions via email or call 916-444-6240.

What attendees say about this tour:

“This tour was so well put together. You guys did a spectacular job. The topics were relevant, the speakers good, the other participants fun and knowledgeable. You could offer consulting services on how to do tours!”

“Being able to visit places most can’t, with a good explanation – Copper Basin in particular.”

“Great range of speakers. Great to meet fellow tour participants. Interesting locations to visit. Intensive (in a good way).”

Stops Included:

• Hoover Dam
• Central Arizona Project facilities
• Mohave Valley Conservation Area
• Copper Basin, Gene Pumping Plant and other Metropolitan Water District of Southern California facilities
• Farms in the Palo Verde, Imperial and Coachella valleys
• The Salton Sea
• Imperial Dam

Topics Included:

• Drought conditions and shortage criteria in the Colorado River Basin
• Lower Basin state perspectives – Arizona, California and Nevada
• The Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA)
• Warren H. Brock Storage Reservoir and lining the All-American Canal
• Binational water management 
• Agricultural water use, drainage issues and salinity
• The Colorado River Basin Study
• Endangered species and the Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP)
• Salton Sea restoration project issues
• Climate change

Tour Start and End Point:

This tour started at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 27 at the Best Western McCarran Inn in Las Vegas and ended at the Ontario International Airport in California at 6:30 p.m. on March 1.

Most years, there is a ticket option called the “California Option,” which is an inclusive ticket that starts and ends the tour in California. It is designed for state agency employees, but is open to any participant who wants transportation from Southern California to Las Vegas on Feb. 26 and a hotel room that same night in Las Vegas. The additional cost of transit and your hotel on Feb. 26th are included in this ticket. Contact Nick Gray with any questions.

Pricing Details:

Regular Price – $895 (one person, single-occupancy room)

Early Bird Price – $865 if you registered online by Jan. 28. Click on the orange registration button above.

Fee included all tour meals, transportation, materials, snacks and hotel accommodations once the tour begins. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the tour’s beginning and end point.

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

Deadline to cancel and receive a full refund is three weeks prior to the first day of the tour due to hotel, meal and transportation bookings. Substitutions are allowed up to five business days before the tour. Refunds may be subject to a 10% processing fee.

Continuing Education Credits:

Continuing education credits are available for attorneys for an additional fee, and may be available for water plant/wastewater plant operators and other vocations/professions.