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One of our most popular events, our annual Water 101 Workshop detailed the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics currently facing the state.

Taught by some of the leading policy and legal experts in California, the one-day workshop on April 5 gave attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resource.

View the workshop agenda here. Speakers included:

• Thomas Harter, UC Davis professor, who spoke on groundwater resources, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act & more
• Jennifer Harder, McGeorge School of Law professor, who spoke on the various water rights in California, public trust law & more
• Jenn Bowles, Water Education Foundation executive director, who spoke on California’s geography, water development history & more
• Holly Roberson, natural resources attorney, who spoke on state & federal water management framework, regulating agencies & more
• Jeff Mount, Public Policy Institute of California senior fellow, who spoke on hot topics such as flood & drought management, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta & more
• Pablo Garza, chief consultant for the State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife, who spoke on the legislative process, current water legislation & more

The workshop, hosted at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, was beneficial to water district directors, water resource industry staff, engineering and environmental firm personnel, city council members, county supervisors, legislators, legislative staff, press, advocates, attorneys, environmentalists, public interest organizations and others.

Sponsorship opportunities were available. View the details here.

Optional Groundwater Tour

Workshop attendees were also invited to hit the road with us a day early on Thursday, April 4, for a journey around the Sacramento region to explore groundwater, a key resource in California. Led by Foundation staff and Thomas Harter, Chair for Water Resources Management & Policy at the University of California, Davis, the tour visited cities and farms using groundwater, examined a subsidence measuring station and provided the latest updates on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and more.

What attendees said about our Water 101 Workshop & Tour:

“Informative, fun, broad, varied! Super great introduction to the complexity of issues surrounding water in California.”

“I’ve worked in water for about 4 years now and I feel the information provided really helped tie together several areas of knowledge I knew a little bit about into a complete narrative about water in California.”

“Great workshop. Loved it! Learned a lot and I feel inspired.”

“You folks put on phenomenal events: Well thought-out agenda, logical order, fantastic speakers, and ample breaks/networking opportunities.”

Topics During the April 5 Workshop Sessions Included:

• History & geography of California water
• Water rights
• The big water projects, including State Water Project & Central Valley Project
• Groundwater use & the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
• The legal & institutional management framework
• Water use & demand
• Water bills in the Legislature & the legislative process

Topics During the April 4 Groundwater Tour Included:

• Surface water & groundwater conjunctive use
• Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation
• Subsidence
• Groundwater recharge
• Groundwater pollution

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Current Foundation member organizations received access to sponsorships opportunities for the workshop, which was a prime networking opportunity for the water professionals in attendance! Both exclusive and general sponsor options were available. View details of the various sponsorship levels and benefits here.

Location:

The workshop on April 5 was held inside the Lecture Hall at McGeorge School of Law, 3327 5th Ave., Sacramento, CA. 

The optional one-day Groundwater Tour on April 4 started and ended at the Water Education Foundation office, 2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205, Sacramento, CA. Check-in began at 7:30 a.m. and the tour returned at 6:30 p.m. Free parking was available during the tour.

Nearby Hotels:

Near McGeorge School of Law, site of the April 5 workshop:

• Courtyard Sacramento Midtown
• Hotel Med Park

Near the Water Education Foundation, start & end point of the April 4 tour:

• Courtyard Sacramento Airport Natomas
  
  The Foundation had a discounted rate arranged at this hotel that is within walking distance of the office and also offered a shuttle to/from Sacramento International Airport (SMF). Self-pay booking options were provided upon registration for the tour.

Pricing Details:

April 5 Workshop Only: $259 and included refreshments, lunch and materials.

April 4 Groundwater Tour + April 5 Workshop : $495 and included refreshments, lunch and materials during both the tour and the workshop.

Please note: The optional tour was only open to those who also attended the workshop the next day.

A limited amount of scholarship funding was available to pay for a portion of the April 5 workshop. Scholarships were awarded based on a few factors, including:

• Financial need
• Reason for scholarship request
• How the education and experience was used after the event

Contact Nick Gray via email for more information.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

The deadline to cancel and receive a refund was two weeks prior to the date of the event due to vendor commitments. Substitutions were allowed up to five business days before the event. Eventbrite fees were nonrefundable and the remaining amount may have been subject to an additional processing fee.

Continuing Education Credits:

MCLE credits were available only for California attorneys for an additional fee, and may have been available for water plant/wastewater plant operators and other vocations/professions. Contact Nick Gray via email with any questions.

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