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Overview Jenn Bowles

About Us

Who We Are

Facing the challenges of sustainably managing and sharing water, our most precious natural resource, requires collaboration, education and outreach. Since 1977, the Water Education Foundation has put water resource issues in California and the West in context to inspire a deep understanding of and appreciation for water. 

Taking a steady pulse of the water world, the Foundation offers educational materials, tours of key watersheds, water news, water leadership training and conferences that bring together diverse voices. By providing tools and platforms for engagement with wide audiences, we aim to help build sound and collective solutions to water issues.

What We Do

We support and execute a wide variety of programming to build a better understanding of water resources across the West, including:

Why Water?

Mission: The mission of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial nonprofit, is to inspire understanding of water and catalyze critical conversations to build bridges and inform collaborative decision-making 

Vision: A society that has the ability to resolve its water challenges to benefit all

Where We Work

Our office is located in Sacramento, CA.

Connect with Us!

Sign up here to get email announcements about upcoming workshops, tours and new publications.

You can learn more about the daily comings and goings of the Foundation by following @WaterEdFdn on Twitter, liking us on Facebook or following us on LinkedIn.

Announcement

Former Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman Among Speakers Exploring Uncertainty in the West at Oct. 1 Water Summit
Exclusive Sponsorships Still Available; Last Call for Klamath River Tour!

Our 41ˢᵗ annual Water Summit, an engaging day of discussions addressing critical water issues in California and across the West, will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Sacramento with the theme, Embracing Uncertainty in the West.

Speakers and conversations will explore how to move forward with critical decisions despite myriad unknowns facing our most precious natural resource, including updates and insights from leadership at both the state and federal levels in shaping water resource priorities in California and across the West.

Announcement

Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot to Keynote Oct. 1 Water Summit in Sacramento
Coveted Sponsorship Opportunities Available; Fall Tours Nearing Capacity

California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot will be the keynote speaker at our 2025 Water Summit where leading experts and top policymakers will explore how to move forward with critical decisions despite myriad unknowns facing the West’s most precious natural resource.

Now in its 41ˢᵗ year, the Foundation’s premier annual event on Oct. 1 in downtown Sacramento will focus on the theme, Embracing Uncertainty in the West. A full agenda featuring a slate of engaging panelists will be available soon, but the day will be filled with lively discussions on topics such as:

Announcement

Don’t Miss Out on the Final Few Tickets for First-Ever and Only Klamath River Tour
Sept. 8-12 Journey to Explore Remote Watershed Firsthand

Only a handful of seats are left on the bus for our first-ever and only Klamath River Tour and spots are now available first come, first served! This special water tour, Sept. 8 through Sept. 12, will not be offered again so grab a ticket here while they last.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to examine water issues along the 263-mile Klamath River, from its spring-fed headwaters in south-central Oregon to its redwood-lined estuary on the Pacific Ocean in California, including a look at the nation’s largest dam removal project.

Announcement

Last Tickets for Klamath Tour Up for Grabs; Theme Announced for Annual Water Summit; Read the Latest About FIRO and Atmospheric Rivers

Tickets for Klamath River Tour Now Up for Grabs

The remaining handful of tickets for our first-ever Klamath River Tour are now up for grabs! This special water tour, Sept. 8 through Sept. 12, will not be offered every year so check out the tour details here.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to examine water issues along the 263-mile Klamath River, from its spring-fed headwaters in south-central Oregon to its redwood-lined estuary on the Pacific Ocean in California.

Among the planned stops is the former site of Iron Gate Dam & Reservoir for a firsthand look at restoration efforts. The dam was one of four obsolete structures taken down in the nation’s largest dam removal project aimed at restoring fish passage. Grab your ticket here while they last!

California’s Quest to Turn a Winter Menace Into a Water Supply Bonus is Gaining Favor Across the West
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: For years, atmospheric rivers were a mystery. Now, an innovative dam management approach is putting them to work

Image shows Lake Mendocino, the proving ground for Forecast-Informed Reservoir OperationsIn December 2012, dam operators at Northern California’s Lake Mendocino watched as a series of intense winter storms bore down on them. The dam there is run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ San Francisco District, whose primary responsibility in the Russian River watershed is flood control. To make room in the reservoir for the expected deluge, the Army Corps released some 25,000 acre-feet of water downstream — enough to supply nearly 90,000 families for a year.

Announcement

Registration Now Open for Annual Water Summit
One-day conference on Oct. 1 is the Foundation's premier annual event; Sign up for Klamath Tour and Grab a Ticket for NorCal Tour While They Last

Water Summit | October 1

Registration is now open for the Water Education Foundation’s 41ˢᵗ annual Water Summit featuring leading policymakers and experts in conversation about the latest information and insights on water in California and the West.

Announcement

Sign Up for Our Klamath River Tour and Grab a Ticket for Other Fall Programs While They Last!
Water Summit Registration Opens Next Week; Northern California Tour Filling Quickly; Klamath River Tour Ticket Release Begins Tomorrow

Be sure to reserve your spot for our popular fall programs before your summer adventures begin. The tours, in particular, have limited seating and may be sold out before you return!

Klamath River Tour | September 8-12

Join us on this special journey as we examine water issues along the 263-mile Klamath River, from its spring-fed headwaters in south-central Oregon to its redwood-lined estuary on the Pacific Ocean in California. Among the planned stops is the former site of Iron Gate Dam & Reservoir for a firsthand look at restoration efforts following the obsolete structure’s removal. Click here for more details.

Announcement

Registration for Fall Tours & Water Summit Opening Soon; Keep Informed with Daily Water Newsfeed; Read Our 2024 Annual Report

As we head into summer, be sure to mark your calendars for our popular fall programs which will all be opening for registration soon!

Importantly, we will launch our first-ever Klamath River Tour to visit the watershed and, among other things, see how the river has responded to the dismantling of four obsolete dams. It will not be an annual tour, so don’t miss this opportunity!

Check out the event dates and registration details:

Announcement

There’s Still Time to Support Your Favorite Water Nonprofit on Big Day of Giving!
You have until midnight to donate!

Big Day of Giving is ending soon but you still have until midnight to support the Water Education Foundation’s tours, workshops, publications and other programs with a donation to help us reach our $10,000 fundraising goal - we are only $2,502 away!

At the Foundation, we believe that education is as precious as water. Your donations help us every day to teach K-12 educators how to bring water science into the classroom and to empower future decision-makers through our professional development programs.

Final chance to donate today!

Our portfolio of programs reach many people and in many different ways:

Announcement

Big Day of Giving is Here! Make a BIG Splash for Water Education with a Donation Today!
And join us today from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. for our open house

Today is Big Day of Giving! Your donation will help the Water Education Foundation continue its work to enhance public understanding of our most precious natural resource in California and across the West – water.

Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour regional fundraising event that has profound benefits for our educational programs and publications on drought, floods, groundwater, and the importance of headwaters in California and the Colorado River Basin.

Your tax-deductible donation of any size helps support our tours, scholarships, teacher training workshops, free access to our daily water newsfeed and more. You have until midnight to help us reach our $10,000 fundraising goal!

Donate here by midnight!

Announcement

Donate Today Until Midnight Thursday for ‘Big Day of Giving’!
SUPPORT OUR WATER TOURS, PUBLICATIONS AND MORE; ATTEND OUR OPEN HOUSE MAY 1

There is no need to wait to show your love for the Water Education Foundation! You can donate early to our Big Day of Giving campaign and help us reach our fundraising goal of $10,000 by May 1.

Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour online fundraising marathon for nonprofits. Donations will benefit our programs and publications across California and the West.

Announcement

Join Our Open House May 1; Save the Dates for Fall Tours & Events; Read Latest Western Water Article

Join us at our annual open house and reception on May 1 at our office near the Sacramento River to meet our team and learn more about our work.

Changes Loom for Innovative Lower Colorado River Endangered Species Program Amid Drought, New River Rules
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: As the 50-year Multi-Species Conservation Program hits the 20-year mark this month, new questions about how to keep it strong hang over its future

Image shows Endangered bonytail chub were released into a Colorado River lagoon near Laughlin, Nev., in spring of 2024 as part of the MSCP. Before the construction of Hoover Dam on the lower Colorado River, as well as a slew of smaller sisters downstream, the stretch downriver served as a biological oasis in the middle of the unrelenting Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The marshes and backwaters along the river’s edge provided sheltered areas for fish to spawn and rear their young, and mesquite and cottonwood-willow forests provided important habitat for numerous species of birds and other animals.

Announcement

Last Call to Register for Tour of Key Water Region; Come to Our Open House May 1!

In this issue:

Central Valley Tour: April 23-25

Image shows Central Valley Tour participants gather at the edge of San Luis Reservoir, a critical piece of infrastructure to both the federal Central Valley Project and California's State Water Project.NEARLY SOLD OUT! Our Central Valley Tour travels the length of the San Joaquin Valley where water supply and use have been in the national headlines, including our first stop at San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos. The fifth-largest reservoir in the state has been in the news recently because plans to raise its dam are moving forward, which would create 130,000 acre-feet of additional water for off-stream storage used by both the federal Central Valley Project and California’s State Water Project.

Image shows audience at the Water 101 workshop.
Announcement

Last Call to Register for Water 101 Workshop; Upcoming Tour of Key Water Region Nearing Capacity; Come to Our Open House!
Last Chance to Sponsor a Prime Networking Opportunity for Water Professionals!

Time is running out to register for next week’s Water 101 Workshop and go beyond recent national headlines to gain a deeper understanding of how water is managed and moved across California. Plus, only a handful of spots remain for the opportunity to extend your ‘beyond the headlines’ water education experience on our Central Valley Tour! And come one, come all to our annual Open House & Reception on May 1.  

Announcement

Agenda Posted for Water 101 Workshop in April; Journey Beyond the Headlines on Central Valley Tour
Optional Water 101 Watershed Tour Nearly Full; Coveted Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Image shows a speaker at Water 101. Go beyond the stream of recent national headlines and gain a deeper understanding of how water is managed and moved across California during our Water 101 Workshop on April 10

One of our most popular events, the daylong workshop at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento offers anyone new to California water issues or newly elected to a water district board — and really anyone who wants a refresher — a chance to gain a solid statewide grounding on the state’s water resources.

Some of state’s leading policy and legal experts are on the agenda for the workshop that details the historical, legal and political facets of water management in the state. 

Don’t miss a once-a-year opportunity from the only organization in California providing comprehensive, unbiased information about water resources across the West. See the agenda, what past attendees say and learn how to sign up. 

Announcement

Alfred Smith, SoCal Water Law Attorney & Graduate of Water Leaders Program, Elected Water Education Foundation President
Smith Becomes the First Graduate of Foundation’s Water Leaders Program to Head Its Board

Image shows Water Education Foundation Board President Alfred Smith II. Alfred E. Smith II, a Southern California water law attorney and an alumnus of the Water Education Foundation’s Water Leaders program, has been elected president of the Foundation’s board of directors.

As chair of Nossaman LLP’s Water Group and a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Smith serves as general counsel to several Southern California water districts and represents clients on water rights, groundwater adjudications, water contamination litigation and remediation matters.

Announcement

Atmospheric River Scientist Marty Ralph to Give Latest Insight on Climate Whiplash & Impacts at Water 101 Workshop
Go Beyond the Headlines & Gain a Deeper Understanding of Water at April 10 Workshop & Join Central Valley Tour in April

Image shows Marty Ralph, Director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography.Learn the importance of atmospheric rivers to California’s hydrology and the impacts of climate whiplash during a session at our Water 101 Workshop led by Marty Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

The workshop, April 10 in Sacramento, is among the events, tours and publications the Water Education Foundation offers to help you get beyond the stream of recent national headlines and better understand how water is managed and moved across the Golden State:

Announcement

Go Beyond the Headlines to Gain a Deeper Understanding of Water in California
April Events Include Water 101 Workshop & Central Valley Tour

Photo of tour participants standing on top of Terminus Dam near VisaliaGo beyond the recent headlines and gain a deeper understanding of how water flows across California during our Water 101 Workshop on April 10. If you join our Central Valley Tour happening April 23-25, you can stand atop Terminus Dam where the federal government released water from Lake Kaweah in late January.

The Water Education Foundation, which celebrated its 48th birthday this week, is proud to be the only organization in California providing comprehensive, unbiased information about the most critical resource across the West. We provide myriad resources to help put issues in context and to inspire a deep understanding of and appreciation for water, including educational materials, tours of key watersheds, water news, water leadership training and events that bring together diverse voices.

Golden Mussel, California’s Newest Delta Invader, Is Likely Here To Stay – And Spread
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Aquatic hitchhiker adds to burden of invasive mussels challenging water agencies across the West

Image shows golden mussels clustered on a buoy, found during a survey in November 2024 at O'Neill Forebay at the foot of San Luis Reservoir in Merced County. The mussels were also discovered for the first time in North America last fall in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and O'Neill Forebay. A new aquatic invader, the golden mussel, has penetrated California’s ecologically fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the West Coast’s largest tidal estuary and the hub of the state’s vast water export system. While state officials say they’re working to keep this latest invasive species in check, they concede it may be a nearly impossible task: The golden mussel is in the Golden State to stay – and it is likely to spread.