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.

Attendees went beyond the stream of recent national headlines and gained a deeper understanding of how water is managed and moved across the Golden State during this once-a-year opportunity from the only organization in California providing comprehensive, unbiased information about water resources across the West.

Taught by some of the leading policy and legal experts in California, the one-day workshop on April 10 gave attendees a great statewide primer on the state’s most precious natural resource.

View the workshop agenda here. Speakers included:

• Thomas Harter, UC Davis professor, speaking on groundwater resources, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act & more
• Jennifer Harder, McGeorge School of Law professor, speaking on the various water rights in California, public trust law & more
• Jenn Bowles, Water Education Foundation executive director, speaking on California’s geography, water development history & more
• Marty Ralph, Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes director, speaking on the latest atmospheric river and weather forecasting research to inform water resources planning
• Joshua Nelson, environmental law & natural resources attorney, speaking on state & federal water management framework, regulating agencies & more
• Pablo Garza, chief consultant for the State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife, speaking 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 Watershed Tour

Workshop attendees were also invited  to hit the road with us around the region the next day – Friday, April 11 – for a ‘watershed’ journey from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, along the American River and into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Led by Foundation staff and other experts, the tour in part highlighted efforts to replumb the local water management system to better handle the effects of climate change in a “Supershed Approach” that stretches from the headwaters to the valley floor.

What attendees say 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 10 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 11 Watershed Tour Included:

• Forest health & high-elevation reservoirs
• Updated reservoir-operation strategies
• Salmonid migration & fisheries health
• Groundwater recharge & conjunctive use
• ‘Super-shedding’ a watershed against climate change
• Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water quality & water supply reliability
• Importance of the Delta ecosystem to migratory species
• Delta agriculture & legacy communities

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 10 was held inside the Lecture Hall at McGeorge School of Law, 3327 5th Ave., Sacramento, CA. Check-in began at 8:30 a.m. and the program started at 9:00 a.m. The workshop concluded with an optional networking reception starting at 5:00 p.m.

The optional one-day Watershed Tour on April 11 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 returned no later than 6:30 p.m.

Nearby Hotels:

Near McGeorge School of Law, site of the April 10 workshop:

• Courtyard Sacramento Midtown
• Hotel Med Park

Near the Water Education Foundation, start & end point of the April 11 tour:

• Courtyard Sacramento Airport Natomas

Pricing Details:

April 10 Workshop Only: $259 and included refreshments, lunch and materials

April 10 Workshop + April 11 Watershed Tour: $495 and included refreshments, lunch and materials during both the workshop and the tour

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

A limited amount of scholarship funding was available to pay for a portion of the April 10 workshop. Scholarships were awarded based on a few factors, including:

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

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. Credit card processing fees were nonrefundable and the remaining refund amount was subject to additional fees.

MCLE Credit Hours:

Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit hours were available only to California attorneys for an additional fee.