Are you an emerging leader passionate about shaping the future of the Colorado River Basin?

If so, consider applying for our 2026 Colorado River Water Leaders program to deepen your knowledge of the iconic Southwest river, build leadership skills and develop policy ideas with a cohort to improve management of the region’s most crucial natural resource.

Our biennial Water Leaders program selects emerging stars from the seven states that rely on the river – Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming - along with tribal nations and Mexico.

Get an overview of the program and tips on applying by watching this virtual Q&A session held in December. Applications are due Jan. 26, 2024 and you can find application materials here along with mandatory program dates.

Applicants should have at least five years’ experience in water issues, with at least three of those involving the Colorado River. They should be early to mid-career professionals in water-related organizations, including: state and federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, water and irrigation districts, tribal nations, environmental groups, agricultural interests, private companies and nongovernmental organizations. 

The program begins with an orientation and dinner in Las Vegas the evening of March 10 before the three-day Lower Colorado River Tour, March 11-13, and will conclude in late September at our Colorado River Symposium in Santa Fe, where members of the cohort will present their policy recommendations.

Go to our application page to find out how to apply and get more details, including tuition and mandatory program dates.

Water 101 Workshop | March 26

Registration is now open for one of our most popular events, the Foundation’s Water 101 Workshop – The Basics & Beyond. Join us March 26 for this once-a-year primer on California’s most precious natural resource detailing the history, geography, and legal and political facets of water in California.

Hosted at Cal State Sacramento’s Harper Alumni Center, the workshop is a great opportunity to get a solid grounding in statewide issues for water agency staff, engineering and environmental consultants, city council members, county supervisors, legislators, legislative staff, press, advocates, attorneys, environmentalists, public interest organizations, water district directors and others.

Workshop participants are also invited to join an optional watershed tour March 27, the day after the workshop. Follow the complicated story of a drop of water as we journey from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, along the American River and into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with Foundation staff and other water experts. Get more details and register here!

Save the Dates for Other 2026 Programs:

• Central Valley Tour | April 22-24 This tour travels the length of the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, known as the nation’s breadbasket thanks to imported surface water and local groundwater. This tour won’t be offered in 2027 so don’t miss this opportunity. Find more information here. Registration opens January 21!
   
• Open House & Reception | May 7 Join us at our office near the Sacramento River to chat with our team and learn more about our tours, conferences, maps, publications and training programs for teachers and up-and-coming water professionals. RSVP here!
   
• Bay-Delta Tour | May 20-22 This tour travels deep into California’s water hub and traverses the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a 720,000-acre network of islands and canals that supports the state’s water system and serves as a critical ecological resource. Find more tour information here. Registration opens February 18!
   
• Water Summit | October 29 Mark your calendar now to attend the Water Education Foundation’s 42ⁿᵈ annual Water Summit in downtown Sacramento! Our premier event of the year features leading policymakers and experts addressing critical water issues in California and across the West.