Our new Edge of Drought Tour Aug. 27-29 highlights the connection between the Santa Barbara region’s distinctive hydrology and the lurking threat of drought from persistent water scarcity with an up-close look at water projects and programs across the southern Central Coast. With the next California drought around the corner, the variety of efforts underway to enhance the area’s limited local water resources have potential applications across the state.

The tour starts and ends in Burbank, with overnight stays in Ventura and Paso Robles. Registration ends Friday, so grab your ticket now!

Topics to be discussed include:

• Boosting supply through water reuse, desalination, groundwater recharge, cloud seeding and other programs
• Atmospheric river research to monitor and potentially harness more water from storms
• Impacts of 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows to local water infrastructure and quality

Planned stops include:

• Pyramid Lake
• Freeman Diversion Dam and fish ladder
• San Antonio Creek Spreading Grounds
• Lake Casitas
• Santa Barbara desalination plant
• Lake Cachuma
• Twitchell Reservoir
• Cambria water reclamation facility
• Lopez Lake
• Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve

2019 Fall Tours

Registration is open for our two fall tours as well but early bird pricing for the Northern California Tour ends Sept. 3, so grab your ticket soon!

Northern California Tour: Oct. 2 to 4

This 3-day, 2-night tour travels the length of the Sacramento Valley, a primary source of water for much of California. Stops include Oroville and Shasta dams, Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project, a rice farm, Clear Creek restoration site, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Another highlight is a houseboat cruise on Shasta Lake. Speakers talk about farming, water supply, flood management, groundwater and salmon restoration. Register here.