The year 2012 marked the 35th anniversary of the Water Education Foundation. It’s a time for our Board of Directors, supporters and staff to muse a little on the work we’ve done and the water issues we have covered and helped bring to resolution. I’ve done a bit of figuring and realize – in terms of projects – there is a lot of water under the bridge! For example, if you had been reading Western Water magazine for the last 35 years, you would have read 210 issues. That’s a lot of magazines. And I don’t even want to count how many times we’ve covered some issues like the Delta!

I calculate that about 10,000 people have been on our water tours in California and Arizona and Nevada. About 18,000 people have attended our briefings and conferences over the years. Our partnership with public television has allowed 10 major documentaries to be seen by millions of Californians and many more people nationally. We are the proud recipients of four regional Emmys.

There are two additional programs that are so rewarding and successful that I wish we had started those years earlier. First, our partnership with Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). We’ve been the California coordinator for 16 years and ours is the most active program in the nation. In that time 14,374 teachers have completed the minimum 6-hour training in 681 teacher professional development workshops. Exactly, 4,500,011 students have been taught and used the WET lessons and activities. Second, the 16th Water Leaders Class has just begun. More than 200 young lawyers, engineers, planners, community and environmental leaders have completed this mentorship program. They have walked in the footsteps of water leaders who often hold different perspectives and have learned about those viewpoints. Today we see the Water Leaders alumni taking their places in the wide water world.

So what has all this activity over 35 years accomplished to “solve” the water problem? I believe we have played an important role in bringing together people who voice different points of view and that has often led to progress. We’ve done that through all our programs. Sometimes we were the first to write and discuss new – and often unpopular ideas – like water marketing, conservation, recycling, climate change and integrated water management. We’ve brought together stakeholders in public and private settings and sometimes those meeting have led to key decisions. I remember that the first rough numbers of how California could reach 4.4 million-acre-feet of Colorado River water were written on a cocktail napkin at our 1997 Colorado River Symposium in Santa Fe. Tours and field trips have allowed a firsthand look at water features and sprouted partnerships, like the one between author Marc Reisner and rice farmers he previously criticized. There are many more examples.

Along the way we’ve had the invaluable help and support of our contributors, water stakeholders and our Board of Directors including our six presidents: Ira “Jack” Chrisman, Bill Gianelli, Bob Hagan, Henry Vaux, Mike Armstrong and Bill Mills. Our front row seat on the water rollercoaster during 35 years of water issues has helped us report on – and sometimes participate in - issues important to all Westerners. It’s been quite a ride – and it’s not over yet!