Announcements

Overview

Foundation News

Find out what the Water Education Foundation is up to with announcements about upcoming events, tours, new Western Water articles on key water topics and more! 

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Announcement

Supporting Water Education in California and the West Is Easy with Workplace Giving
Employees of the Bureau of Reclamation, California Department of Water Resources and State Water Board can donate via paycheck deductions

Water Leaders at San Luis ReservoirYou can support the Water Education Foundation’s efforts to educate about water resources in California and the West through the annual workplace giving programs now underway with federal, state and private employers.

Whether you joined one of our our water tours, participated in our Water Leaders program, kept up-to-date with our weekday Aquafornia water newsfeed or Western Water news articles, or perused our Layperson’s Guides to key water issues, you already know our strong commitment to improving understanding of and appreciation for our most crucial natural resource.

Since 1977, the Water Education Foundation has been a trusted source of water news and programming, putting water resource issues in California and the West into context.

Announcement

Inaugural Colorado River Water Leaders Class Releases Recommendations for Post 2026 River Operating Guidelines

Our inaugural 2022 Colorado River Water Leaders class completed its six-month program with a report outlining key policy recommendations for managing the Colorado River after existing operating guidelines expire in 2026.

The class of 13 up-and-coming leaders included engineers, lawyers, resource specialists, scientists and others working for public, private and nongovernmental organizations from across the river’s basin. The class had full editorial control to choose its recommendations.

Photo shows the California state Capitol
Announcement

Meet Us Next Tuesday at the Capitol; Sign Up for our Annual Water Summit, Water Leaders Alum Reunion and Our Last Tour of 2022

The team at the Water Education Foundation is gearing up for a busy fall programming season. Check out the details below. We hope to see you at some point!

Announcement

Water Summit to Focus on Rethinking Water in the West in Response to Drought & Climate Change
Oct. 27 event in Sacramento will highlight the push to reexamine our relationship with water resources

Aerial view of Lake Oroville, showing the effects of the 2020-2022 drought.Our premier event of the year, the Foundation’s 38th annual Water Summit on Oct. 27 in Sacramento will highlight conversations that examine our relationship with water resources and how best to address the challenges presented by ongoing drought and a changing climate.

With this year’s theme, Rethinking Water in the West, a variety of policymakers, experts and officials will be discussing important topics in water across California and the West. Conversations will take place around rethinking:

  • Water management in a drought-driven West
  • Water rights in light of drought-spawned shortages and climate change
  • The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which acts as the state’s crucial water hub and serves as a vital ecological resource

In addition, there will be an update on the status of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 

Announcement

Seats Filling Fast For Foundation’s Tours, Annual Water Summit & Water Leaders Alum Reunion
Don't Miss San Joaquin River Tour; Stay on Top of Drought News with Aquafornia

​Registration is filling up quickly for our fall programs, including:

Plus, with all the activity involving water in California and the drought gripping the West, be sure to subscribe to our Aquafornia service so you don’t miss out on top water news compiled each weekday and delivered to your inbox.

Check out the details below to learn more about these fall programs and our Aquafornia newsfeed.

Announcement

Author Highlighting New Ways to Think About Water to be Keynote Speaker at Water Summit
Join us for our premier annual event Oct. 27 in Sacramento; sponsorship opportunities now available

A science journalist and author whose new book highlights efforts to reshape how we think about and work with water will provide the keynote address at the Foundation’s 2022 Water Summit on Oct. 27 in Sacramento.

Author Erica Gies, whose new book is titled Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge, explores what she calls “Slow Water” innovations that can potentially offer resilience to the increasing severity of droughts and floods brought on by climate change.  

Announcement

Foundation Journalism Team Highlights Water Issues in California and the West With Newsfeed, Articles and More
Article on Salinas Valley Pilot Project Among Array of Resources That Help You Track Western Drought and Understand Colorado River Challenges

Aerial view of Lake Oroville showing the low lake level resulting from drought.As our programs team at the Water Education Foundation is busy this summer putting together fall events such as tours, our annual Water Summit and our Water Leader alum reunion, our journalism team is helping to raise water awareness every day.

You can access our newsfeed each morning of the top articles on water issues in California and the West and even get it sent to your inbox. You can also find interactive maps showing reservoir levels, water-savings tips and more on our special online drought resource page.

And we just published our latest Western Water article focused on a pilot program in the Salinas Valley that is run remotely out of Los Angeles. It’s offering a test case for how California could provide clean drinking water for isolated rural communities plagued by contaminated groundwater that lack the financial means or expertise to connect to a larger water system. 

Announcement

Registration Now Open for October 27 Water Summit in Sacramento
Our annual premier event along the Sacramento River part of an engaging fall program schedule

​You can now register for the in-person return of the Foundation’s 38th annual Water Summit, a one-day conference highlighting the latest information and perspectives on water resources in California and the West. The event includes an evening reception along California’s largest and longest river, the Sacramento River, for an opportunity to network with speakers and other attendees from a variety of backgrounds.

Our fall schedule also includes:

  • A reunion for our Water Leaders graduates to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program
  • Tours exploring California’s two largest rivers, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin, to learn more about infrastructure, the impacts on farms, cities and habitat from a third year of drought and salmon restoration efforts.

Check out the details below to learn more about these fall programs.

Logo for Water Leaders alumni
Announcement

Water Leaders Alumni Reunion In October Marks 25th Anniversary of Preeminent Leadership Program
Reunion headlines fall programming, including our annual water summit and tours of the state's two largest rivers

We are gearing up to mark the 25th anniversary of our Water Leaders class by holding a reunion this fall for the many scientists, farmers, environmentalists, water managers, lawyers, engineers and others who have gone through our program over the years.

The Oct. 26 reunion by the American River will be held the day before our annual Water Summit, which will be open to all interested. 

Registration is coming soon for the reunion and the Water Summit, but you can sign up now for our fall tours, which will take journeys along California’s two longest rivers. Seats are already filling up! Check out the details below to learn more about these upcoming programs.

Aerial view of Lake Shasta, showing the effects of drought
Announcement

Registration Now Open for Northern California & San Joaquin River Restoration Tours
Join our fall tours focused on California's two largest rivers to explore drought impacts, salmon restoration efforts and more

Register today for the return of our in-person fall tours offering participants a firsthand look at issues such as drought along California’s two longest rivers, which have implications for the entire state.

Our Northern California Tour explores the Sacramento River and its tributaries to learn about key reservoirs and infrastructure that conveys vital water resources across California. Our San Joaquin River Restoration Tour returns this year to dive into the story of bringing back the river’s chinook salmon population while balancing water supply needs.

Announcement

Mark Your Calendars for the Foundation’s Fall Programs Including Water Leaders Reunion
Save the Dates for our Annual Water Summit & Tours of the State's Two Largest Rivers

​Mark your calendars now for our full schedule of fall programs, including a reunion of our Water Leaders graduates to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program as well as the in-person return of our 38th annual Water Summit.

Our fall programming also includes tours exploring California’s two largest rivers, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin, to learn more about infrastructure, the impacts on farms and habitat from a third year of drought and salmon restoration efforts.

Check out the details below to learn more about these fall programs.

Announcement

2021 Annual Report Recaps Water Education Efforts in California And the West Amid a Global Pandemic
Water Education Foundation report highlights a year of challenges, accomplishment and gratitude

Cover image of the 2021 Annual ReportThe Water Education Foundation’s just-released 2021 Annual Report recaps how, even amid the ongoing global pandemic, we continued educating about the most crucial natural resource in California and the West — water. 

The annual report takes readers along to see the array of educational events, trainings and articles we produced last year, including engaging virtual water tours that educated participants on pressing water issues and allowed them to interact with each other and a wide range of experts offering different viewpoints. 

Announcement

Latest Western Water Article Examines How Groundwater Managers Are Reworking ‘Incomplete’ Plans to Meet Sustainability Goals
More than half of the most critically overdrawn basins, mainly in the San Joaquin Valley, are racing against a July deadline to retool their plans and avoid state intervention

Managers of California’s most overdrawn aquifers were given a monumental task under the state’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: Craft viable, detailed plans on a 20-year timeline to bring their beleaguered basins into balance. Altogether, they submitted plans for 20 basins for review by the California Department of Water Resources in January 2020. Earlier this year, DWR rendered its verdict: Most of the basin plans were incomplete.

Now groundwater agencies responsible for 12 of those basins are racing to meet a late July deadline to submit revised plans that measure up to SGMA’s requirements or risk the state stepping in to manage their groundwater basins. Despite the state’s verdict, some groundwater managers say they believe they’re well on their way to making the changes needed to ultimately win the state’s approval.

In our latest article, Western Water explored the array of challenges these groundwater managers face in getting their sustainability plans to fulfill the state’s requirements, how some agencies were able to largely meet the state’s expectations, and what lies ahead for those plans that fell short.

Announcement

Virtual Ticket Now Available for Thursday Workshop Focused on ‘Getting Ahead of the Storms’
Join Special One-Day Event in Irvine Remotely That Will Highlight Latest Science in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting

Lake Oroville shows the effects of drought in July 2021, with little water in an arm of the lake.You can now remotely attend a special one-day workshop this Thursday in Southern California to learn about the latest advancements in sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasting — weather predictions from two weeks to a season ahead — and how these predictions can improve management of water infrastructure including dams, flood storage and reservoirs to ensure water is available for urban, agricultural and environmental purposes.

As climate change continues to make our reliance on historical patterns to forecast California’s water supply increasingly unreliable, what new science, models and technology are being brought to bear on efforts to ‘get ahead of the storms’ and improve drought management?

To find out, register now to attend the workshop this Thursday, June 9, either in person in Irvine or via Zoom. 

The one-day workshop, Making Progress on Drought Management: Improvements in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting, is sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources in partnership with the Water Education Foundation. In-person registration is still available until the day of the workshop.

Announcement

Last Chance to Sign Up & ‘Get Ahead of the Storms’ at June 9 Workshop in Southern California
Special One-Day Event in Irvine will Focus on Better Drought Management through Improved Precipitation Forecasting

Lake Oroville shows the effects of drought in July 2021, with little water in an arm of the lake.California’s 2021-2022 water year went from a relatively wet October-December beginning to the driest January-March period in the state’s history. That has left most of the state’s vast network of surface water reservoirs including Lake Oroville, a key Northern California reservoir that sends water to Southern California, now below historic average going into the dry, summer months.

With our reliance on historical patterns to forecast California’s water supply becoming increasingly unreliable, what new science, models and technology are being brought to bear on efforts to ‘get ahead of the storms’ and improve drought management?

Don’t miss your opportunity to find out at our special one-day workshop June 9 in Irvine.

Announcement

We’re Hiring! Join the Water Education Foundation Team as our Development Director

Join the team at the Water Education Foundation, a highly respected and impartial nonprofit that has been a trusted source of water news and educational programming in California and across the West for more than 40 years.  

We have a full-time opening for a dynamic, strategic and energetic development director to generate grant support and other funding for programs carried out by our events and journalism teams. 

Announcement

Keep Up to Date With the West’s Rapidly Escalating Drought
Foundation's All Things Drought resource page includes newsfeed, helpful conservation tips, weekly drought severity map & answers to common questions

Lake Mendocino shows the effects of drought in April 2021. Heading into a third consecutive summer of drought, California and the West are facing stark water challenges. 

Water levels in many of California’s largest reservoirs are significantly below average, and the state’s Sierra snowpack that helps replenish many of them into the early summer is largely gone. Plummeting reservoir levels have triggered sharp cuts to water deliveries for thirsty farms and cities, prompting state and local officials to plead for the public to conserve remaining supplies. Declining reservoir levels are also expected to curb generation of hydroelectricity, a crucial source of power during hot summer months.    

For anyone trying to stay current with the unfolding drought in California and the West, the Water Education Foundation’s journalism team has created All Things Drought, a special resource page that offers links to real-time reservoir data and water supply forecasts, an ongoing newsfeed to help you stay up to date on the latest news and tips so you can help conserve the region’s most precious natural resource.

Announcement

Agenda Now Posted for Special June 9 Workshop in Southern California on Precipitation Forecasting & Drought Management
One-Day Event in Irvine will Help Water Managers 'Get Ahead of the Storms' to Better Manage Drought

Lake Oroville shows the effects of drought in July 2021, with little water in an arm of the lake.California’s vast network of surface water reservoirs is designed to hold carryover storage from year to year to ensure water is available for urban, agricultural and environmental purposes during dry months and years.

But climate change has begun to affect our reliance on historical weather patterns to predict California’s water supply, making it even more difficult for water managers to manage drought conditions and placing a greater emphasis on better precipitation forecasting at longer lead times.

Learn about efforts being made to ‘get ahead of the storms’ through new science, models and technology at our special one-day workshop June 9 in Irvine, Making Progress on Drought Management: Improvements in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting. The event is sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources in partnership with the Water Education Foundation.

Announcement

Improvements in Forecasting to Better Manage Drought Is Focus of June 9 Workshop in Southern California
Registration Open for Irvine Event Highlighting Latest Science in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting

Lake Oroville shows the effects of drought in July 2021, with little water in an arm of the lake.How can California water managers get ahead of the storms to improve drought management? A special one-day workshop June 9 in Irvine will highlight some of the latest research on seasonal precipitation forecasting that could help water managers across the state plan better for what winter might bring.

The workshop, Making Progress on Drought Management: Improvements in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting, is sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources in partnership with the Water Education Foundation.

Announcement

Latest Science in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting Focus of June 9 Workshop in Southern California
Registration Open for Irvine Event Highlighting How Improvements in Forecasting are Helping to Better Manage Drought

Lake Oroville shows the effects of drought in July 2021, with little water in an arm of the lake.With the recent news that California has officially begun 2022 with its lowest January through April precipitation level since 1895, how reliable are the historical patterns traditionally used to forecast California’s water supply? Tomorrow’s weather forecast may be spot on, but can we ever get accurate precipitation forecasts weeks to months in advance?

To get the answers, register today for Making Progress on Drought Management: Improvements in Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting, a one-day workshop June 9 in Irvine sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources in partnership with the Water Education Foundation.