March 10-12

Lower Colorado River Tour (Field Trip)

This 3-day, 2-night tour followed the course of the lower Colorado River through Nevada, Arizona and California, and included a private tour of Hoover Dam, a boat ride on Lake Mead, and visits to the Havasu National Wildlife refuge, farms in the Imperial and Coachella valleys, the All-American Canal lining project and the Salton Sea. Issues discussed included Colorado River drought management options, the Central Arizona Project, southern Nevada's water needs, border issues, endangered species and tribal water rights. The tour began in Las Vegas and ended at California's Ontario International Airport.

The major sponsors of the 2010 Lower Colorado River Tour were California Department of Water Resources; Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado Region; Coachella Valley Water District; George Miller and Janet McKinley; ICF; Imperial Irrigation District; Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; PBS&J; and Southern Nevada Water Authority.

The Water Education Foundation's tours are action-packed field trips that offer participants a firsthand look at the water facilities, rivers and regions critical in the debate about the future of water resources. Issues of water supply, water quality, environmental restoration, flood management, groundwater and water conservation are addressed by a wide-range of speakers representing different viewpoints.

Below are some of the presentations and handouts from the 2010 Lower Colorado River Tour.
Lower Colorado River Map
2010 Lower Colorado River Tour Itinerary

The Aqua Blog Maven
Lower Colorado River Tour Slideshow
Lower Colorado River Tour Photos

Doug Barnum, Biologist, USGS Salton Sea Science office
The USGS Salton Sea Office
Summary of Current Research and Accomplishments

George Caan, Executive Director, Colorado River Commission of Nevada
Implications of Lower Lake Levels - April 21 & 22

Pat Chandler, Inspection Trip Manager, MWD of Southern California
The District at a Glance
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Profile

Michael Cohen, Senior Associate, Pacific Institute
The Future of the Salton Sea (Listed on right side of page under RELATED RELEASES AND REPORTS.)

Pat Cooper, Office of Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny
Background Sheet SB 51 (Ducheny) Salton Sea Restoration Council

Supervisor Wally Leimgruber, District 5
Colorado River 'Quantification Settlement Agreement' Invalidated as Unconstitutional
QSA Litigation Bulletin: Environmental Impact

Paul Matuska, Group Manager, Water Accounting and Conservation Group, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region
Lower Colorado Water Supply Report

Jennifer McCloskey, Area Manager, Yuma Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation
Lower Colorado River Operations

Ken Nowak, Water Resource Engineer, Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems
Current Conditions in the Colorado River Basin
Lake Mead: A Popular Topic
Climate Modeling 101 and Application to the Colorado River Basin
Colorado River Flow Variability: The Paleo Perspective
Additional Resources and Contact Information

Tina Shields, Assistant Water Department Manager, Imperial Irrigation District
The Colorado River: A Regional Resource and Lifeblood of the Imperial Valley
The QSA 2008 Annual Report

Gerry Tarling, Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant Supervisor, Central Arizona Project
Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant Information

Lesley Thornburg, Cadiz Inc. Property Manager
Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project

Gallery

Tentative Itinerary

Day 1 (subject to change)

Las Vegas

Hoover Dam

Lake Mead

Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Havasu

Day 2 (subject to change)

Central Arizona Project Mark Wilmer pumping plant

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Gene Village

Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation

Imperial Wildlife Refuge

All-American Canal Lining Project

Drop 2 Reservoir site

Imperial Valley farms

Day 3 (subject to change)

Imperial Irrigation District water control office

IID aqueducts and storage facilities

Salton Sea

Coachella Canal

Coachella Valley farms

Coachella Valley Water District offices