This tour guided participants on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries and learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

This three-hour virtual tour hosted by Nick Gray and Jenn Bowles included:

• An overview presentation of the Sacramento Valley
• An hour-long video tour of key stops in the Sacramento Valley
• Live Q&A with the speakers in chat rooms where participants could dive deeper into the topics

Topics Included:

• State Water Project and Central Valley Project operations, including Shasta Dam
• Oroville Dam and its repaired spillway
• Flood management
• Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
• Voluntary Agreements
• Restoration of endangered Chinook salmon
• Farming in the Sacramento Valley
• Managed wetlands and wildlife refuges
• Proposed Sites Reservoir Project

As part of the event, participants were entered into a drawing to win one of the Foundation’s beautiful water maps, and their choice of one of the Layperson’s Guides below was included with registration:

• Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
• Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law
• Layperson’s Guide to California Water

What participants say about our virtual tours:

“Great job! I want to see all this in person. Will have to be on the bus next year.”

“Amazing event. Thank you so much. WEF is an amazing resource to the water community, which is everyone!”

“Thank you to all WEF staff for putting together such a great tour. Your ability to adapt is fantastic, and I hope that you produce more virtual tours like this.”

Stops Included:

• Shasta Dam
• Oroville Dam
• Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project
• Sacramento Valley rice fields
• Clear Creek Restoration Project
• Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
• New Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Sites Valley

Featured Experts Included:

• David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association
• Don Bader, area manager with the Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region 
• Charlie Chamberlain, fish biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Jeff Sutton, general manager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority 
• Thad Bettner, general manager of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District
• Meghan Hertel, director of land & water conservation for Audubon California
• Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Reservoir Project
• Jacob Katz, senior scientist at CalTrout
• Roger Cornwell, general manager of River Garden Farms

Pricing Details:

Cost was $179 and included one copy of our Layperson’s Guides on offer.

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

Deadline to cancel and receive a refund is three days prior to the virtual tour. Substitutions are allowed up to two days before the tour. Eventbrite fees are nonrefundable and the remaining amount may be subject to an additional 10% processing fee.

Continuing Education Credits:

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