Watch our series of short videos on the importance of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, how it works as a water hub for
California and the challenges it is facing.
When a person opens a spigot to draw a glass of water, he or she
may be tapping a source close to home or hundreds of miles away.
Water gets to taps via a complex web of aqueducts, canals and
groundwater.
Learn more about our team in the office and on the Board of
Directors and how you can support our nonprofit mission by
donating in someone’s honor or memory, or becoming a regular
contributor or supporting specific projects.
Unlike California’s majestic rivers and massive dams and
conveyance systems, groundwater is out of sight and underground,
though no less plentiful. The state’s enormous cache of
underground water is a great natural resource and has contributed
to the state becoming the nation’s top agricultural producer and
leader in high-tech industries.
A new era of groundwater management began in 2014 in California
with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The landmark law
turned 10 in 2024, with many challenges still ahead.
The biennial program, which will run from March to September
next year, selects about a dozen rising
stars from the seven states that rely on the river
– California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New
Mexico – Mexico and tribal nations.
The seven-month program is designed for working professionals who
explore issues surrounding the iconic Southwest
river, deepen their water knowledge, and build leadership
and collaborative skills.
Listen to
a recording of our virtual Q&A session
where executive director Jenn Bowles and other Foundation staff
provided an overview on the program and tips on applying.
Registration for our first water tour of 2026 along the lower
Colorado River is now open and the bus will fill up quickly! You
can also find more information below on next year’s programming
calendar packed with engaging tours, workshops and conferences.
And don’t forget that current Foundation member organizations
receive access to coveted sponsorship options for our
tours and events, which are all prime networking
opportunities for the water professionals in attendance! Contact
Nick Gray for more information.
Lower Colorado River Tour | March 11-13
Be sure to catch the return of our
annual Lower Colorado
River Tour as we take you from Hoover Dam to
the U.S.-Mexico border and through the Imperial and
Coachella valleys to learn about the challenges and opportunities
facing the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”
Following the river as it winds through Nevada, Arizona and
California, the tour explores infrastructure, farming
regions, wildlife refuges and the Salton Sea. Experts discuss
river issues, such as water needs, drought management, endangered
species and habitat restoration.
In anticipation of high demand, space is limited to two
tickets per organization so reserve your spot soon while
tickets last. Get more tour
details and register here!
The Trump administration on Wednesday renewed a streamlined
permit program for oil pipelines, highways and other projects
that disturb wetlands and streams, while making data centers
eligible as well. The Army Corps of Engineers finalized for the
next five years its nationwide permit program, which allows
infrastructure purported to have minimal adverse effects on
water quality to get faster approvals under the Clean
Water Act. … In addition to allowing data centers to
qualify for the permits, the agency added a new
category for environmental projects that help fish pass through
dams.
In a decision that could complicate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to
build a giant water tunnel and remake California’s water
system, a state appeals court has rejected the state’s plan for
financing the project. The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled
against the state Department of Water Resources’ plan to issue
billions of dollars in bonds to build the 45-mile tunnel
beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. … If the
appeals court decision stands and the ongoing case doesn’t
bring a different conclusion, it might lead the Newsom
administration to revise its plan for financing the project.
Officials could also petition for the California Supreme Court
to hear the case.
Much of the western U.S. has started 2026 in the midst of a
snow drought. That might sound surprising, given the record
precipitation from atmospheric rivers hitting the region in
recent weeks, but those storms were actually part of the
problem. … A region can be in a snow drought during
times of normal or even above-normal precipitation if
temperatures are warm enough that precipitation falls as rain
when snow would normally be expected. This form of snow drought
– known as a warm snow drought – is becoming more prevalent as
the climate warms, and it’s what parts of the West have been
seeing so far this winter.
With months still left of winter, California’s major reservoirs
are holding about 129 percent of historical water levels for
this time of year. Officials with the state’s Department of
Water Resources say that’s welcome news after years of drought,
but it doesn’t mean California’s water challenges are
completely over. … Above average reservoir levels give
water managers more flexibility as they head into warmer months
and irrigation season, when demand rises and rain typically
fades. It also reduces the immediate risk of shortages for
farms, cities, and ecosystems.
Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
Bay Model is a giant hydraulic replica of San Francisco
Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta. It is housed in a converted World II-era
warehouse in Sausalito near San Francisco.
Hundreds of gallons of water are pumped through the
three-dimensional, 1.5-acre model to simulate a tidal ebb
and flow lasting 14 minutes.
As part of the historic Colorado
River Delta, the Salton Sea regularly filled and dried for
thousands of years due to its elevation of 237 feet below
sea level.
The most recent version of the Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when
the Colorado River broke
through a series of dikes and flooded the seabed for two years,
creating California’s largest inland body of water. The
Salton Sea, which is saltier than the Pacific Ocean, includes 130
miles of shoreline and is larger than Lake Tahoe.
Drought—an extended period of
limited or no precipitation—is a fact of life in California and
the West, with water resources following boom-and-bust patterns.
During California’s 2012–2016 drought, much of the state
experienced severe drought conditions: significantly less
precipitation and snowpack, reduced streamflow and higher
temperatures. Those same conditions reappeared early in 2021
prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom in May to declare drought emergencies
in watersheds across 41 counties in California.
