April 14-16

Central Valley Tour (Field Trip)

This 3-day, 2-night tour traveled the length of the San Joaquin Valley, giving participants a clear understanding of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. The valley was one of the world's top-producing agricultural regions, and one of California's fastest growing areas. Stops included the Kern County Water Bank, the San Joaquin River, Mendota Pool, Friant Dam, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge and San Luis Reservoir. Issues of growth, water supply, groundwater banking, wetlands, salmon restoration and agricultural supply and drainage were discussed on this tour, which begins and ends in Bakersfield.

The major sponsors of the 2010 Central Valley Tour were Bowles Family Farm (in honor of Mr. John H. “Jack” Threlkeld); Bureau of Reclamation - Mid Pacific Region; California Department of Water Resources; George Miller and Janet McKinley; Kern County Water Agency; and PBS&J.

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 Central Valley Tour.
2010 Central Valley Tour Itinerary
Central Valley Tour Map Overview
Central Valley Tour Route Map
Central Valley Tour Interactive Google Map

The Aqua Blog Maven
Central Valley Tour Slideshow
Central Valley Tour Photos
Central Valley Tour Photos on Facebook

Ara Azhderian, Water Policy Administrator, San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority
San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Storage vs. Ag Service Allocation Graphs

Steve Chedester, Executive Director, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors
San Joaquin River Fact Sheet
San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority Presentation

Doug Davis, General Manager, Tulare Lake Drainage District
"Constructed Wetland Habitat for American Avocet and Black-Necked Stilt Foraging and Nesting" article

Douglas DeFlitch, Supervisory Hydrologist, South Central California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid Pacific Region
Friant Dam page on Bureau of Reclamation website
San Joaquin River Restoration Program website
Bureau of Reclamation Friant Dam and Millerton Lake Fact Sheet from 1988

Dennis Falaschi, General Manager, Panoche Water District
Grassland Bypass Project Summary
San Joaquin River Improvement Project

Sarge Green, Project Director, California Water Institute
Westside Resource Conservation District Info Sheet

Steve Haugen, Watermaster, Kings River Water Association
Fisheries Management Program page on Kings River Conservation District Website

Randy McFarland, Communications, Friant Water Users Authority
The Friant Division info sheet
Friant Water Users Authority Maps
"The Need for More Water Storage" - Friant Water Users Authority
"The San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement" - Friant Water Users Authority

David Orth, General Manager of Kings River Conservation District (KRCD)
Groundwater Issues - Kings River Conservation District

Karl Stromayer, Assistant Refuge Manager, US Fish & Wildlife Service and Dennis Woolington, Biologist, US Fish & Wildlife Service
Conservation Easement Program
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Voluntary Habitat Restoration on Private Lands

Peter Vorster, Hydrogeographer
Tulare Basin Hydrology and Hydrography Report - link on right side of page
Maps from Sierra to the Sea report (The Ecological History of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Watershed

Gallery

Tentative Itinerary

Day 1

Bakersfield

Kern River

Kern County Water Bank

Cross Valley Canal

Semitropic Water Storage District

Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah

Kaweah and St. Johns Rivers

Visalia

Day 2

Eastern San Joaquin Valley farms

Kings River

Friant Dam

Friant Kern Canal

Chowchilla Bypass

San Luis Wildlife Refuge

San Luis Reservoir

Delta Farms (dinner)

Los Banos

Day 3

Westlands Water District

Panoche Water District

Mendota Pool

Madera Water Bank potential site

Salinity mitigation evaporation ponds

Tulare Lake Bed and farms

Return to Bakersfield