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Topic: Water History

Overview April 24, 2014

Water History

California’s water history during the past two centuries is fraught with conflicts as agricultural, recreational, environmental and urban users have fought, and continue to fight, to secure finite water supplies for their ever-growing needs.

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Aquafornia news August 15, 2022 Los Angeles Times

Risk of catastrophic ‘megaflood’ has doubled for California

Even today, as California struggles with severe drought, global warming has doubled the likelihood that weather conditions will unleash a deluge as devastating as the Great Flood of 1862, according to a UCLA study released Friday. In that inundation 160 years ago, 30 consecutive days of rain triggered monster flooding that roared across much of the state and changed the course of the Los Angeles River, relocating its mouth from Venice to Long Beach. If a similar storm were to happen today, the study says, up to 10 million people would be displaced, major interstate freeways such as Interstates 5 and 80 would be shut down for months, and population centers including Stockton, Fresno and parts of Los Angeles would be submerged — a $1-trillion disaster larger than any in world history.

Related articles: 

  • San Francisco Chronicle: Catastrophic floods may occur far more than ever before. Here’s how bad it could get in the Bay Area
  • Capital Public Radio: A cataclysmic flood is coming for California. Climate change makes it more likely.
  • CNN Wire Service: Parts of California could become a ‘vast inland sea’ due to megafloods, study shows
  • Washington Post: A ‘megaflood’ in California could drop 100 inches of rain, scientists warn
  • Weather West: ARkStorm 2.0: Climate change is increasing the risk of a California megaflood
  • Courthouse News Service: If not by drought then by megaflood: Climate change may have doubled risk of disastrous flooding in California
  • New York Times: The Coming California Megastorm 
  • Daily Democrat: Woodland Emergency OperationsCenter to participate in flood exercise
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news August 11, 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers

Blog: Central Valley subsidence could last longer than expected

Until the development of the major state and federal water projects that began delivering surface water to the area in the second half of the 20th century, the Central Valley relied almost exclusively on groundwater. Heavy pumping of groundwater has led to significant land subsidence throughout the valley, causing major damage in some areas to canals, aqueducts, and other infrastructure. This subsidence was particularly pronounced in the valley’s southern half, which is known as the San Joaquin Valley. By 1970, approximately half the San Joaquin Valley, or roughly 5,200 sq mi, had subsided by at least 1 ft, according to the website of the U.S. Geological Survey. Some locations had subsided by as much as 28 ft.

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Aquafornia news August 11, 2022 Ceres Courier

Editorial: Sacramento’s tunnel vision will destroy Delta, make fat cat hedge fund farmers richer

Tulare Lake. Gone. Owens Lake. On a resuscitator but near death. Mono Lake: Its life hangs in the balance. They  — and many more California lakes and rivers — were the victim of defying Mother Nature and sucking massive amounts of water from one basin to another. Bypassing a massive amount of water from the Delta ecological system by tunneling under it — what could possibly go wrong? It is why the recent latest reincarnation of Los Angeles’ not-to-secret plan to destroy the Delta along with their partners-in-crime on the western side of Kern County is pure tunnel vision.

Related articles: 

  • Livermore Independent: Editorial - Delta Decision Needs More Alternatives, Time
  • Livermore Independent: California Department of Water Resources releases Delta Conveyance project draft EIR
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Aquafornia news August 10, 2022 KPBS Public Media

Lake that predated Salton Sea came and went as the Colorado River changed course

Before the Colorado River was tamed by dams and dikes it was a free flowing, flooding river that often changed course, sometimes dramatically. Though it typically flowed south to the Gulf of California, in years of powerful floods it would flow into the Salton Sea Basin, and fill it up to form what we call Lake Cahuilla. Since about 612 B.C. Lake Cahuilla has filled up seven times, the last time in 1733. The flooding Colorado would create a huge lake that stretched from what’s now Palm Springs, California in the north to well beyond Mexicali, Mexico in the south. Thomas Rockwell is a geology professor at San Diego State who examined charcoal and other organic matter to determine when the lake filled and receded.

Related article: 

  • Deutsche Welle: Digging in the dirt - California mining firms seek to clean up lithium’s production footprint
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Aquafornia news August 9, 2022 CBS - San Francisco

After 80 years, endangered Chinook salmon eggs return to McCloud River and Winnemem Wintu tribe

In a life flight that could change the course of one tribe’s history, a helicopter delivered 20,000 endangered salmon eggs to a remote area in Shasta County, in an effort to save the winter-run Chinook species struggling to survive in California’s warming river waters. … For Sisk and members of her tribe, it was a monumental moment, personally helping a new generation of winter-run Chinook towards the McCloud River. The eggs will be among the first salmon to reach these waters since Shasta Dam was built more than 80 years ago.

Related article: 

  • Daily Kos: Klamath River Fish Update - Massive debris slide led to dissolved oxygen level drop to zero
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Aquafornia news August 9, 2022 Arizona Republic

A century after the Colorado River was divided, tribes gain a voice

Tribal leaders stood proudly in front of a row of flags from the 10 Indigenous communities whose lands converge with the Colorado River. They spoke about their status as equal players in the future of the Colorado and the role they will play in the high-stakes negotiations to set new management protocols for the river that more than 40 million people depend upon for their lives and livelihoods. … They were part of tribal delegations from throughout the Colorado River Basin gathered in Las Vegas in December 2021 during the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association.

Related article: 

  • Arizona Republic: With water, tribes can reclaim their agricultural heritage and restore riverside landscapes 
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Aquafornia news August 9, 2022 The Sacramento Bee

Anthony Saracino, California water policy expert, dies

Anthony Saracino … was a widely-recognized expert in California water policy. He co-authored various publications on groundwater management, reservoir reoperation, and integrating storage in California’s changing water system. He was a founding member of the board and past president of the Groundwater Resources Association of California and served on the board of the Water Education Foundation for more than 15 years and helped the organization create its first groundwater map.

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Aquafornia news August 5, 2022 CBS News

Friday Top of the Scroll: Millions at risk of power and water shortages as two of the nation’s largest reservoirs on the brink of “dead pool status,” U.N. warns

Millions of people in the Western U.S. are at risk of seeing reduced access to both water and power as two of the nation’s biggest reservoirs continue to dry up inch by inch. The United Nations issued a warning on Tuesday that the water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at their lowest ever and are getting perilously close to reaching “dead pool status.” Such a status means that the water levels are so low that water can’t flow downstream to power hydroelectric stations. At Lake Mead, located in Nevada and Arizona, the country’s largest artificial body of water, levels have gotten so low that it’s essentially become a graveyard – human remains, dried-out fish and a sunken boat dating back to World War II …

Related articles: 

  • The Hill: UN warns two largest US water reservoirs at ‘dangerously low levels’
  • Eos: Building Resilience in the Face of a Dwindling Colorado River
  • USA Today: Drought-stricken southwest US could see rain through the end of the week
  • CNN News Wire: Half the country is in drought, and no region has been spared
  • CNN: Sinema’s support for the tax and climate bill could hinge on drought funding for the Southwest
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Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 KCRA 3 - Sacramento

Tahoe ‘State of the Lake’ report highlights changes in the water

For over 50 years, researchers with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) have been carefully observing the waters of Lake Tahoe. This week, the annual “State of the Lake” report was released. According to UC Davis TERC director Geoffrey Schladow, 2021 data shows some major changes that hadn’t been observed to this point. One of the most notable is a drop in the Mysis shrimp population. This non-native plankton species was introduced into the lake in the 1960s.

Related articles: 

  • SF Gate: Developers destroyed this forgotten wetland in Tahoe. Can scientists save what’s left?
  • Nevada Appeal: Report - Algae hit all-time high at Lake Tahoe
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Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 Field & Stream

These 4 people are trying to save the Klamath River

The Klamath Basin is one of the most iconic watersheds in North America. It’s also one of the most troubled. The basin, which spans 15,751 square miles along the remote California-Oregon border, was once considered the “Everglades of the West” for its network of more than 440,000 acres of wetlands. … From a tribal lawyer laser-focused on protecting her people’s salmon-fishing traditions to a biologist doing everything he can to preserve the remnants of the basin’s wetlands, these are the people fighting to return the Klamath to its former glory. This is their river.

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Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 CalMatters

Opinion: Can Newsom finally win long Delta water conflict?

Will the fifth time be the charm for California’s decades-long effort to replumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta so that more Northern California water can be transported to Southern California? Don’t count on it. Last week, the state Department of Water Resources released a draft environmental impact report on the latest iteration of the 57-year-long effort to change the Delta’s role in water supply, a 45-mile-long tunnel officially named the “Delta Conveyance.” The 3,000-page document immediately drew the responses that have accompanied past versions — big municipal and agricultural water agencies were in favor of it because it would, they hope, increase water deliveries south of the Delta, and environmentalists were against it, saying it would further damage the Delta’s already bruised ecosystem.
-Written by Dan Walters, columnist for CalMatters.

Related article: 

  • San Jose Mercury News: Editorial - Delta tunnel plan raises more questions than it answers
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Aquafornia news July 29, 2022 Circle of Blue

Concrete river: Water, life, pollution, and the future of the Los Angeles River

Today, the L.A. River is at a pivot point. Development, pollution, and poor management are significant threats to the river’s health. Earlier this year the environmental group American Rivers ranked the L.A. River as the 9th most endangered river in the country. In its recent history, the river has been abused by its urban setting, channelized and tainted with industrial runoff. But along its northern reaches, a restoration is taking shape. The L.A. River Master Plan, which aims to improve the profile of the river over the next 25 years, was approved by Los Angeles County officials in May.

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Aquafornia news July 27, 2022 KGET 17 - Bakersfield

The nation’s first environmental law resulted from destructive California mining operations

California’s Gold Rush is known for making many people rich and inflating the population of the then-young state, but it also resulted in the creation of the nation’s first environmental law. As gold mining went from individuals with gold pans raking the bottom of creek beds to industries using the latest technologies to strip precious ores from California’s hillsides, the impact on the surrounding environment became more severe. Hydraulic mining was a growing form of industrial mining, in which high-pressure water would blast out of water cannons, known as monitors, into hillsides to wash away dirt and rocks to uncover the gold beneath.

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Aquafornia news July 26, 2022 The Hill

Third set of human remains found in Lake Mead

National Park Service (NPS) rangers found a third set of human remains Monday afternoon in Lake Mead as the nation’s largest reservoir continues to dry up amid a years-long extreme drought. NPS said in a release that rangers had discovered the remains at Swim Beach in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area after receiving a witness report around 4:30 p.m. Monday. … A 20-year megadrought has dried up Lake Mead, which straddles Arizona and Nevada, plummeting its water levels to historic lows.

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Aquafornia news July 26, 2022 jfleck at inkstain

Blog: Does the Upper Colorado River basin routinely take shortages in dry years?

As stakeholders negotiate the current crisis on the Colorado River, we believe the representatives of the states of the Upper Basin – our states – are making a dangerous argument. Their premise is simple. With deep cutbacks needed, the Upper Basin states argue that their part of the watershed already routinely suffers water supply shortages in dry years. … Our review of those data suggests that, on average, overall Upper Basin use is slightly greater in dry years, and less in wet years.

Related articles: 

  • LAist: What The Startling Low Water Levels In Lake Mead Mean For LA
  • Colorado Springs Gazette: Colorado River strain casts shadow over recreation
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news July 25, 2022 San Francisco Chronicle

Mono Lake was supposed to have been saved from going dry. Now, the ‘white stuff’ forces a reckoning

[T]he alkali flats that are emerging from [Mono] lake’s surface, ghost white, aren’t just another nod to the uniqueness of this ancient place. They’re a sign of trouble. Amid a third year of drought, the sprawling lake on the remote east side of the Sierra Nevada is sharply receding, and the small towns and wildlife so closely tied to the water are feeling the pinch. … The drought bearing down on Mono Lake and the rest of California picks up on a two-decade run of extreme warming and drying. It’s a product of the changing climate that has begun to profoundly reshape the landscape of the West and how people live within it.

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Aquafornia news July 22, 2022 Los Angeles Times

Shasta Lake at 38% capacity heading into the hottest months of the year

[Aquafornia Editor's Note: The Los Angeles Times story below wrongly states that Shasta Lake is part of the State Water Project. It is part of the federal Central Valley Project. We still believe this photo essay is worthy to share because of the importance Shasta Lake plays in California.] 

Shasta Lake, one of the state’s largest reservoirs, is currently at 38% capacity, a startling number heading into the hottest months of the year. Part of the State Water Project, a roughly 700-mile lifeline that pumps and ferries water all the way to Southern California, the reservoir is the driest it has been at this time of year since record-keeping first began in 1976. California relies on storms and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada to fill its reservoirs. The state received a hopeful sign of a wet winter in late December when more than 17 feet of snow fell in the Sierra Nevada. But the winter storms abruptly ceased, ushering in the driest January, February and March ever recorded. 

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Aquafornia news July 19, 2022 The Atlantic

Why we remember floods and forget droughts

[R]ather than planning for dry conditions that, because of climate change, are likely to become far more frequent and deadly, Americans seem incapable of even remembering them. Around the world, the landscape itself records our long history of floods. Recent inundation is easy to see in high-water marks, which trace the edges of the tide with soil and seed deposits. Sometimes people memorialize these marks, carving into stone and labeling the lines with dates, like a child’s growth chart drawn on a door frame. … As John Steinbeck wrote in the opening pages of East of Eden, “It never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.” 

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Aquafornia news July 19, 2022 Los Angeles Times

Endangered salmon relocated to ancestral waters

California’s Chinook salmon haven’t been able to reach the McCloud River since 1942, when the construction of Shasta Dam blocked the fish from swimming upstream and sealed off their spawning areas in the cold mountain waters near Mt. Shasta. After 80 years, endangered winter-run Chinook are about to swim in the river once again. State and federal wildlife officials this week collected about 20,000 winter-run salmon eggs from the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery near Redding and drove them for three hours to a campground on the banks of the McCloud River.

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Aquafornia news July 18, 2022 Shasta Scout

“We’re praying that they remember these waters”: supported by tribal ceremony, salmon eggs return to the McCloud River after 80 year absence

On July 11 the Winnemem Wintu Tribe danced, sang and prayed for 20,000 endangered salmon eggs as they were returned to the McCloud River. The action is part of new collaboration with government agencies and represented a watershed moment for the Tribe. Hot Sacramento River temperatures threaten winter-run Chinook, but government scientists hope acclimating the eggs to the glacial waters of the McCloud River, their ancestral home, will help them survive.

Related articles: 

  • Marin Independent Journal: Marin Voice - Stream conservation area ordinance a win for science, salmon and environment
  • Department of Fish & Wildlife: Public invited to comment on petition to list Southern California steelhead as endangered
  • Eureka Times-Standard: Trinidad students raise money for Mad River watershed restoration
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Aquafornia news July 15, 2022 KCET - Los Angeles

How a 19th-century drought gave us the L.A. we know today

1795 had been a drought year, as were the years between 1807 and 1809. Drought returned in 1822-1823, followed by floods in 1825, and three years of little rain from 1827 to 1829 and again in 1844-1846. Travel writer Emma Adams described the “annual panic” in Los Angeles when winter rains were overdue and “all classes of businessmen are at a white heat of anxiety.”

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Aquafornia news July 15, 2022 KUSI - San Diego

Efforts underway to replenish dying Salton Sea in Imperial Valley

It was once called the Salton Riviera and a miracle in the desert. The Salton Sea is different now; dead fish, decaying area, foul odor , and dangerous toxic fumes. It’s a wasteland. Once California’s largest lake, now it’s on the verge of extinction, many claiming it is beyond repair. Rodney Smith PhD., Managing Partner of the Sea To Sea Bi-National Canal Co., joined KUSI’s Logan Byrnes on “Good Evening San Diego” to discuss how he will save the dying Salton Sea.

Related article: 

  • CBS – Los Angeles: Earthquakes strike near Salton Sea
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news July 14, 2022 Water Resources IMPACT

St. Francis Dam and the End of Mulholland’s Reign

Thanks to the 1974 fictionalized movie Chinatown, many people know the infamous story of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, built to capture runoff from the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley for delivery to Los Angeles.  Construction of the aqueduct, started in 1908, compared in complexity to the building of the Panama Canal. It required 3,900 workers at its peak and involved the digging of 164 tunnels. At the time it was the longest aqueduct in the world … 

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Aquafornia news July 13, 2022 The Guardian

As drought shrivels Lake Powell, millions face power crisis

Dwindling water levels at Lake Powell, which is now at 28% of its 24m acre-feet capacity, have put the Glen Canyon dam at risk. In March, water levels fell below 3,525 feet – considered a critical buffer to protect hydropower – for the first time. If the lake drops just another 32ft, the dam will no longer be able to generate power for the millions who rely on it…. The Bureau of Reclamation… forecasts that even with significant proposed cuts to water allowances there is a 23% chance power production could halt at dam in 2024 due to low water levels and that it is within the realm of possibility that it will happen as soon as July 2023.

Related articles: 

  • CBS News: Lake Mead shrinks to record low amid punishing drought and consumer demand
  • KJZZ – Phoenix: Every last drop - How Scottsdale’s drought plan has reduced the city’s water footprint
  • Heart of the Rockies Radio: Water Talks - The Crisis of the Colorado River System
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 12, 2022 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

News release: Shasta Dam construction relic emerges again in dry year

When Shasta Reservoir levels drop 90 feet down from the top of the dam remnants of the “head tower,” a structure used during the dam’s construction in the early 1940s, becomes visible. To locals and water wonks alike, it’s a reminder that it’s going to be another dry year. … The lake’s historic lowest level was in the summer of 1977 when it was down 230 feet below the dam’s crest. Last year’s lake level was the second lowest on record, and yes, the head tower was exposed — along with roads, train tunnels, and car bridges.

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Aquafornia news July 12, 2022 Weather Underground

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: 2022 is California’s record driest year, so far, NOAA says

2022 is California’s driest first half of any year on record, according to a just released government summary. In data released on Monday, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information found that over the period from January through June precipitation in the state was the lowest on record dating to 1895. Elsewhere, Nevada had its second lowest precipitation tally, Utah its third least and Arizona its ninth lowest over the same period. Drought conditions had improved significantly at the end of 2021 as California received record snowfall in the Sierra. After a dry start to the year and now the dry season in place, drought conditions have worsened yet again.

Related articles: 

  • The Hill: Over three quarters of U.S. states experiencing some form of drought
  • Mashed: What You Need To Know About The Water Crisis On The West Coast 
  • NOAA: Exacerbated by a record-dry June, Alaskan wildfires grow at near-record pace
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 11, 2022 Lodi News

Water agencies once at odds collaborating on ‘Dream’ project

Historically, the relationship between the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District and the East Bay Municipal Utilities District has been tense at times, hindering the opportunity to collaborate on regional projects. The tension, NSJWCD attorney Jennifer Spaletta said, was over EBMUD building the Camanche and Pardee reservoirs and ending up with senior water rights along the Mokelumne River. But over the last two decades, the two agencies have worked to resolve their issues, and ultimately came to the mutual understanding that they needed to work together in order to solve future water supply challenges.

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Aquafornia news July 11, 2022 Los Angeles Times

Hotter, drier conditions heighten danger as Yosemite fire threatens ancient sequoias

A fire threatening hundreds of ancient sequoias in Yosemite National Park continued to spread Sunday as firefighters braced for more difficult conditions this week with warmer and drier weather approaching. The Washburn fire had grown to at least 2,044 acres by Sunday evening and was burning on the southern end of the park near the historic Mariposa Grove, home to about 500 giant sequoias, officials said. The blaze is also threatening the community of Wawona and prompted officials to close Highway 41 near the south entrance to Henness Ridge Road.

Related articles: 

  • Los Angeles Times: Abraham Lincoln preserved majestic Yosemite sequoias. Now Washburn fire threatens them. 
  • SLO Tribune: Update - Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park tops 2,000 acres as hotter weather looms
  • KCRA – Sacramento: How the climate crisis is forever changing our national parks
  • Lost Coast Outpost: Biden-Harris Administration Selects Karuk Tribal Leader to Serve on Federal Wildfire Commission
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 11, 2022 CNN

Megadrought: As the West runs out of water, property owners and officials find ways around century-old laws

With a megadrought draining water reserves in the West, states are looking for alternatives to handle water rights, many of which were set more than 100 years ago when water supplies were far more abundant. Back then, just posting a sign next to a water diversion was enough to be considered a right, one which could still be honored now. But the climate crisis is now straining those rights. There just isn’t enough water in California to satisfy what’s been allotted on paper.

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Aquafornia news July 8, 2022 Marketshare

KESQ Palm Springs examines what happened to California’s largest lake

In the 1960s, Hollywood flocked to its shores. Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and the Beach Boys partied at the lake. But by 1985, the tourist industry was over and the heyday of Old Hollywood was gone. Just a short drive south of Palm Springs, you’ll find California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea. Back in its heyday, hundreds of thousands of people visited the area, attracting more visitors than Yosemite Park at the time. Fishing, water-skiing and boat-racing reigned on high, earning the lake the nickname “the fastest body of water.” 

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Aquafornia news July 7, 2022 The Associated Press

Ducey signs $1.2B water plan as Arizona faces cutbacks

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Wednesday that will provide $1.2 billion over three years to boost long-term water supplies for the desert state and implement conservation efforts that will see more immediate effects. The legislation that was hammered out over months during the just-completed legislative session is viewed as the most significant since the state implemented a groundwater protection plan in 1980. Climate change and a nearly 30-year drought forced the move, which comes as Arizona faces cutbacks in its Colorado River water supply and more loom.

Related articles: 

  • Futurity: More water evaporates from lakes than we thought​
  • Foothills Focus: City appears confident as water alarm shakes the West
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Aquafornia news July 6, 2022 The Guardian

Utah’s Great Salt Lake hits new historic low amid drought in western US

The Great Salt Lake has hit a new historic low for the second time in less than a year, a dire milestone as the US west continues to weather a historic mega-drought. The Utah department of natural resources said in a news release on Monday that the Great Salt Lake dipped over the weekend to 4,190.1ft (1,277.1 meters). … The giant lake near Salt Lake City is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. Its dwindling water levels have put millions of migrating birds at risk and threaten a lake-based economy that is worth an estimated $1.3bn in mineral extraction, brine shrimp and recreation. 

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Tour November 2, 2022 - 7:30am - November 3, 2022 - 6:30pm Nick Gray

San Joaquin River Restoration Tour 2022
Field Trip - November 2-3

Travel along the San Joaquin River to learn firsthand about one of the nation’s largest and most expensive river restoration projects.

The San Joaquin River was the focus of one of the most contentious legal battles in California water history, ending in a 2006 settlement between the federal government, Friant Water Users Authority and a coalition of environmental groups.

Click here to register!

Hampton Inn & Suites Fresno
327 E Fir Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
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Tour March 16, 2022 - 7:30am - March 18, 2022 - 6:30pm Nick Gray

Lower Colorado River Tour 2022
Field Trip - March 16-18

The lower Colorado River has virtually every drop allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.

Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
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Tour May 20, 2021 - 2:30pm - 5:30pm Nick Gray Learn About Infrastructure and Environmental Restoration During Lower Colorado River Tour

Lower Colorado River Tour 2021
A Virtual Journey - May 20

This event explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour. 

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Foundation Event April 22, 2021 - 12:30pm - 5:30pmApril 23, 2021 - 12:30pm - 5:30pm

Water 101 Workshop: The Basics and Beyond
Virtual Workshop Occurred Afternoons of April 22-23

Our Water 101 Workshop, one of our most popular events, offered attendees the opportunity to deepen their understanding of California’s water history, laws, geography and politics.

Taught by some of the leading policy and legal experts in the state, the workshop was held as an engaging online event on the afternoons of Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23.

  • Water 101 Workshop Agenda
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Foundation Event February 20, 2020 - February 21, 2020 University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Jenn Bowles Nick Gray

Water 101 Workshop: The Basics and Beyond

The Water Education Foundation’s Water 101 Workshop, one of our most popular events, offered attendees the opportunity to deepen their understanding of California’s water history, laws, geography and politics.

Taught by some of the leading policy and legal experts in the state, the one-day workshop held on Feb. 20, 2020 covered the latest on the most compelling issues in California water. 

McGeorge School of Law
3327 5th Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95817
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  • Workshop Draft Agenda
  • Tour Flier
  • Byron Buck - California's Natural Water Endowment
  • Jennifer Harder - Summary of California Water Rights Systems
  • Tina Cannon-Leahy - Current Issues in California Water Management
  • Rebecca Smith - Legal and Institutional Management Framework
  • Juliet Christian-Smith - Climate Change and Water Resources
  • Dennis O'Connor - Understanding and Working with the State Legislature
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Western Water May 23, 2019 Colorado River Bundle Gary Pitzer

150 Years After John Wesley Powell Ventured Down the Colorado River, How Should We Assess His Legacy in the West?
WESTERN WATER Q&A: University of Colorado’s Charles Wilkinson on Powell, Water and the American West

We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! We may conjecture many things.

~John Wesley Powell

Explorer John Wesley Powell and Paiute Chief Tau-Gu looking over the Virgin River in 1873.Powell scrawled those words in his journal as he and his expedition paddled their way into the deep walls of the Grand Canyon on a stretch of the Colorado River in August 1869. Three months earlier, the 10-man group had set out on their exploration of the iconic Southwest river by hauling their wooden boats into a major tributary of the Colorado, the Green River in Wyoming, for their trip into the “great unknown,” as Powell described it.

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Tour March 11, 2020 - 7:30am - March 13, 2020 - 6:30pm Nick Gray New Experience Announced for Lower Colorado River Tour: Topock Gorge Boat Trip Get a 'Hard Hat' Tour of Hoover Dam and Visit Lake Mead on Lower Colorado River Tour Take the Pulse of the ‘Lifeline of the Southwest’ on the Lower Colorado River Tour

Lower Colorado River Tour 2020
Field Trip - March 11-13

This tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour. 

Silverton Hotel
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, NV 89139
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  • Dan Bunk & Mike Bernardo Presentation
  • Seth Shanahan Presentation
  • Chuck Cullom Presentation
  • Vineetha Kartha Presentation
  • Tina Shields Presentation
  • Kevin Hempe Presentation
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Western Water December 7, 2018 California Water Map Water & the Shaping of California Gary Pitzer

No Longer a ‘Boys Club’: In the World of Water, Women Are Increasingly Claiming Center Stage
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Since late 2017, women have taken leading roles at Reclamation, DWR, Metropolitan Water District and other key water agencies

Women named in the last year to water leadership roles (clockwise, from top left): Karla Nemeth, director, California Department of Water Resources; Gloria Gray,  chair, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Brenda Burman, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner; Jayne Harkins,  commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. and Mexico; Amy Haas, executive director, Upper Colorado River Commission.The 1992 election to the United States Senate was famously coined the “Year of the Woman” for the record number of women elected to the upper chamber.

In the water world, 2018 has been a similar banner year, with noteworthy appointments of women to top leadership posts in California — Karla Nemeth at the California Department of Water Resources and Gloria Gray at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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Western Water November 16, 2018 California Water Map Layperson's Guide to the State Water Project Gary Pitzer

As He Steps Aside, Tim Quinn Talks About ‘Adversarialists,’ Collaboration and Hope For Solving the State’s Tough Water Issues
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Tim Quinn, retiring executive director of Association of California Water Agencies

ACWA Executive Director Tim Quinn  with a report produced by Association of California Water Agencies on  sustainable groundwater management.  (Source:  Association of California Water Agencies)In the universe of California water, Tim Quinn is a professor emeritus. Quinn has seen — and been a key player in — a lot of major California water issues since he began his water career 40 years ago as a young economist with the Rand Corporation, then later as deputy general manager with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and finally as executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. In December, the 66-year-old will retire from ACWA.

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Western Water October 19, 2018 Klamath River Watershed Map Layperson's Guide to Groundwater Gary Pitzer

California Leans Heavily on its Groundwater, But Will a Court Decision Tip the Scales Against More Pumping?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Pumping near the Scott River in Siskiyou County sparks appellate court ruling extending public trust doctrine to groundwater connected to rivers

Scott River, in Siskiyou County. In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling extended the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that feed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves were not. The ruling marked a dramatic shift in water law and forced Los Angeles to cut back its take of water from those creeks in the Eastern Sierra to preserve the lake.

Now, a state appellate court has for the first time extended that same public trust doctrine to groundwater that feeds a navigable river, in this case the Scott River flowing through a picturesque valley of farms and alfalfa in Siskiyou County in the northern reaches of California.

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Foundation Event February 7, 2019 University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard Roster of Speakers, Agenda Unveiled for Feb. 7 Water 101 Workshop Jenn Bowles Nick Gray

Water 101 Workshop: The Basics and Beyond
One-day workshop included optional groundwater tour

One of our most popular events, our annual Water 101 Workshop details 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 the state, the one-day workshop on Feb. 7 gave attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resources.

 Optional Groundwater Tour

On Feb. 8, we jumped aboard a bus to explore groundwater, a key resource in California. Led by Foundation staff and groundwater experts Thomas Harter and Carl Hauge, retired DWR chief hydrogeologist, the tour visited cities and farms using groundwater, examined a subsidence measuring station and provided the latest updates on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

McGeorge School of Law
3327 5th Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95817
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  • Workshop Agenda
  • Byron Buck - California's Natural Water Endowment
  • Jennifer Harder - Summary of California Water Rights Systems
  • Jay Lund - Current Issues in California Water Management
  • Kevin O'Brien - Groundwater - The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
  • Holly Roberson - Legal and Institutional Management Framework
  • Dennis O'Connor - Understanding and Working with the State Legislature
  • Groundwater Tour - Tim O'Halloran
  • Groundwater Tour - Bruce Houdesheldt
  • Groundwater Tour - Terrie Mitchell
  • Groundwater Tour - Kamyar Guivetchi
  • Groundwater Tour - Mike Wackman
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Western Water June 15, 2018 Jenn Bowles Colorado River Basin Map Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River Jennifer Bowles

Domino Effect: As Arizona Searches For a Unifying Voice, a Drought Plan for the Lower Colorado River Is Stalled
EDITOR'S NOTE: Finding solutions to the Colorado River — or any disputed river —may be the most important role anyone can play

Nowhere is the domino effect in Western water policy played out more than on the Colorado River, and specifically when it involves the Lower Basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona. We are seeing that play out now as the three states strive to forge a Drought Contingency Plan. Yet that plan can’t be finalized until Arizona finds a unifying voice between its major water players, an effort you can read more about in the latest in-depth article of Western Water.

Even then, there are some issues to resolve just within California.

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Western Water May 4, 2018 Truckee River Basin Map Water Education Foundation

ON THE ROAD: This Iconic High Sierra Lake Was Once Named…Bigler?
Lake Tahoe was a stop on our Headwaters Tour June 28-29

Lake TahoeLake Tahoe, the iconic high Sierra water body that straddles California and Nevada, has sat for more than 10,000 years at the heart of the Washoe tribe’s territory. In fact, the name Tahoe came from the tribal word dá’aw, meaning lake.

The lake’s English name was the source of debate for about 100 years after it was first “discovered” in 1844 by people of European descent when Gen. John C. Fremont’s expedition made its way into the region. Not long after, a man who carried mail on snowshoes from Placerville to Nevada City named it Lake Bigler in honor of John Bigler, who served as California’s third governor. But because Bigler was an ardent secessionist, the federal Interior Department during the Civil War introduced the name Tahoe in 1862. Meanwhile, California kept it as Lake Bigler and didn’t officially recognize the name as Lake Tahoe until 1945.

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Tour April 11, 2018 - April 13, 2018

Lower Colorado River Tour 2018

Lower Colorado River Tour participants at Hoover Dam.

We explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.

Hampton Inn Tropicana
4975 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118
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Western Water March 23, 2018 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

ON THE ROAD: Park Near Historic Levee Rupture Offers Glimpse of Old Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Big Break Regional Shoreline will be a stop on Bay-Delta Tour May 16-18

Visitors explore a large, three-dimensional map of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. Along the banks of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Oakley, about 50 miles southwest of Sacramento, is a park that harkens back to the days when the Delta lured Native Americans, Spanish explorers, French fur trappers, and later farmers to its abundant wildlife and rich soil.

That historical Delta was an enormous marsh linked to the two freshwater rivers entering from the north and south, and tidal flows coming from the San Francisco Bay. After the Gold Rush, settlers began building levees and farms, changing the landscape and altering the habitat.

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Foundation Event February 22, 2018 University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

Water 101 Workshop: The Basics and Beyond
Event included optional Delta Tour

One of our most popular events, Water 101 details 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 the state, the one-day workshop gives attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resource.

McGeorge School of Law
3285 5th Ave, Classroom C
Sacramento, CA 95817
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  • Byron Buck's Presentation
  • Jennifer Harder's Presentation
  • Keith Coolidge's Presentation
  • John Andrew's Presentation
  • Peter Kiel's Presentation
  • Dennis O'Connor's Presentation
  • Michael George's Presentation
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Tour February 27, 2019 - 7:30am - March 1, 2019 - 6:30pm Nick Gray

Lower Colorado River Tour 2019

This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour. 

Best Western McCarran Inn
4970 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
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  • Warren Turkett
  • Dan Bunk
  • Seth Shanahan
  • Deanna Ikeya
  • Doyle Wilson
  • Gerald Filipiak
  • Sarah Bartlett
  • Tina Shields
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Tour November 7, 2018 - November 8, 2018

San Joaquin River Restoration Tour 2018

Participants of this tour snaked along the San Joaquin River to learn firsthand about one of the nation’s largest and most expensive river restoration projects.

Fishery worker capturing a fish in the San Joaquin River.

The San Joaquin River was the focus of one of the most contentious legal battles in California water history, ending in a 2006 settlement between the federal government, Friant Water Users Authority and a coalition of environmental groups.

  • Don Portz
  • Bill Luce
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Announcement February 23, 2017

Forty Years Strong: Water Education Foundation Marks Anniversary Monday
Save the Date - Oct. 26 - for Our Anniversary Dinner & Water Leaders Reunion Reception

The Water Education Foundation is marking its 40th anniversary this year with a special celebration dinner Oct. 26 in Sacramento at the Sterling Hotel.

But this Monday (February 27th) is the actual anniversary of the Foundation’s articles of incorporation being filed in 1977, creating a nonprofit, nonpolitical, tax-exempt educational organization.

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Aquapedia background August 25, 2016

American River

American RiverThe American River, with headwaters in the Tahoe and Eldorado national forests of the Sierra Nevada, is the birthplace of the California Gold Rush. It currently serves as a major water supply, recreational destination and habitat for hundreds of species. The geologically diverse North, Middle and South forks comprise the American River or the Río de los Americanos, as it was called during California’s Mexican rule.

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Publication August 19, 2014

Memories of the Early Days of California Water Development

A written transcript of a 1992 interview with six major figures in the early development of California water whose work ranged from Shasta Dam to the Imperial Valley as they shaped the state’s water story beginning in the 1920s.

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Publication August 18, 2014

Water & the Shaping of California
Published 2000 - Paperback

The story of water is the story of California. And no book tells that story better than Water & the Shaping of California.

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Publication August 18, 2014

Water & the Shaping of California
Published 2000 - hardbound

The story of California is the story of water. And no book tells that story better than Water & the Shaping of California.

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Western Water Magazine May 1, 2002

Shaping the West: 100 Years of Reclamation Water
May/June 2002

The Reclamation Act of 1902, which could arguably be described as a progression of the credo, Manifest Destiny, transformed the West. This issue of Western Water provides a glimpse of the past 100 years of the Reclamation Act, from the early visionaries who sought to turn the arid West into productive farmland, to the modern day task of providing a limited amount of water to homes, farms and the environment. Included are discussions of various Bureau projects and what the next century may bring in terms of challenges and success.

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Western Water Magazine May 1, 2004

Mercury Rising Tackling the Legacy of the Gold Rush
May/June 2004

This issue of Western Water examines the presence of mercury in the environment and the challenge of limiting the threat posed to human health and wildlife. In addition to outlining the extent of the problem and its resistance to conventional pollution remedies, the article presents a glimpse of some possible courses of action for what promises to be a long-term problem.

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Western Water Magazine March 1, 2010

Whose Water Is It? Area of Origin Water Rights
March/April 2010

This printed issue of Western Water examines the area of origin laws, what they mean to those who claim their protections and the possible implications of the Tehama Colusa Canal Authority’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation.

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Western Water Magazine May 1, 2012

Levees and Flood Protection: A Shared Responsibility
May/June 2012

This printed issue of Western Water discusses several flood-related issues, including the proposed Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, the FEMA remapping process and the dispute between the state and the Corps regarding the levee vegetation policy.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 2013

An Era of New Partnerships on the Colorado River
November/December 2013

This printed issue of Western Water examines how the various stakeholders have begun working together to meet the planning challenges for the Colorado River Basin, including agreements with Mexico, increased use of conservation and water marketing, and the goal of accomplishing binational environmental restoration and water-sharing programs.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 1998

Cutting Colorado River Use: The California Plan
November/December 1998

This issue updates progress on crafting and implementing California’s 4.4 plan to reduce its use of Colorado River water by 800,000 acre-feet. The state has used as much as 5.2 million acre-feet of Colorado River water annually, but under pressure from Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and the other six states that share this resource, California’s Colorado River parties have been trying to close the gap between demand and supply.

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Western Water Magazine November 1, 1999

Managing the Colorado River
November/December 1999

Drawn from a special stakeholder symposium held in September 1999 in Keystone, Colorado, this issue explores how we got to where we are today on the Colorado River; an era in which the traditional water development of the past has given way to a more collaborative approach that tries to protect the environment while stretching available water supplies.

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Product May 29, 2014

Colorado River Compact 75th Anniversary Symposium Proceedings

In 1997, the Foundation sponsored a three-day, invitation-only symposium at Bishop’s Lodge, New Mexico, site of the 1922 Colorado River Compact signing, to discuss the historical implications of that agreement, current Colorado River issues and future challenges. The 204-page proceedings features the panel discussions and presentations on such issues as the Law of the River, water marketing and environmental restoration.

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Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (20 min. DVD)

20-minute version of the 2012 documentary The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages. This DVD is ideal for showing at community forums and speaking engagements to help the public understand the complex issues related to complex water management disputes in the Klamath River Basin. Narrated by actress Frances Fisher.

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Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (60 min. DVD)

For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and California border has faced complex water management disputes. As relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp, farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists – all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water. After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the documentary here.

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Video May 27, 2014

Restoring a River: Voices of the San Joaquin

This 30-minute documentary-style DVD on the history and current state of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program includes an overview of the geography and history of the river, historical and current water delivery and uses, the genesis and timeline of the 1988 lawsuit, how the settlement was reached and what was agreed to.

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Video May 27, 2014

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

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Video May 27, 2014

Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst (60-minute DVD)

Many Californians don’t realize that when they turn on the faucet, the water that flows out could come from a source close to home or one hundreds of miles away. Most people take their water for granted; not thinking about the elaborate systems and testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to households throughout the state. Where drinking water comes from, how it’s treated, and what people can do to protect its quality are highlighted in this 2007 PBS documentary narrated by actress Wendie Malick. 

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Video May 27, 2014

Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst (30-minute DVD)

A 30-minute version of the 2007 PBS documentary Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst. This DVD is ideal for showing at community forums and speaking engagements to help the public understand the complex issues surrounding the elaborate systems and testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to households throughout the state.

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Video May 22, 2014

Delta Warning

15-minute DVD that graphically portrays the potential disaster should a major earthquake hit the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. “Delta Warning” depicts what would happen in the event of an earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale: 30 levee breaks, 16 flooded islands and a 300 billion gallon intrusion of salt water from the Bay – the “big gulp” – which would shut down the State Water Project and Central Valley Project pumping plants.

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Video May 22, 2014

Shaping of the West: 100 Years of Reclamation

30-minute DVD that traces the history of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and its role in the development of the West. Includes extensive historic footage of farming and the construction of dams and other water projects, and discusses historic and modern day issues.

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Video May 21, 2014

Water on the Edge (60-minute DVD)

Water truly has shaped California into the great state it is today. And if it is water that made California great, it’s the fight over – and with – water that also makes it so critically important. In efforts to remap California’s circulatory system, there have been some critical events that had a profound impact on California’s water history. These turning points not only forced a re-evaluation of water, but continue to impact the lives of every Californian. This 2005 PBS documentary offers a historical and current look at the major water issues that shaped the state we know today. Includes a 12-page viewer’s guide with background information, historic timeline and a teacher’s lesson.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

San Joaquin River Restoration Map
Published 2012

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, features a map of the San Joaquin River. The map text focuses on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, which aims to restore flows and populations of Chinook salmon to the river below Friant Dam to its confluence with the Merced River. The text discusses the history of the program, its goals and ongoing challenges with implementation. 

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Klamath River Watershed Map
Published 2011

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, displays the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas and Indian reservations within the Klamath River Watershed. The map text explains the many issues facing this vast, 15,000-square-mile watershed, including fish restoration; agricultural water use; and wetlands. Also included are descriptions of the separate, but linked, Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement, and the next steps associated with those agreements. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Carson River Basin Map
Published 2006

A companion to the Truckee River Basin Map poster, this 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, explores the Carson River, and its link to the Truckee River. The map includes Lahontan Dam and Reservoir, the Carson Sink, and the farming areas in the basin. Map text discusses the region’s hydrology and geography, the Newlands Project, land and water use within the basin and wetlands. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Lahontan Basin Area Office.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Truckee River Basin Map
Published 2005

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, displays the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas and Indian reservations within the Truckee River Basin, including the Newlands Project, Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe. Map text explains the issues surrounding the use of the Truckee-Carson rivers, Lake Tahoe water quality improvement efforts, fishery restoration and the effort to reach compromise solutions to many of these issues. 

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Nevada Water Map
Published 2004

This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, illustrates the water resources available for Nevada cities, agriculture and the environment. It features natural and manmade water resources throughout the state, including the Truckee and Carson rivers, Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake and the course of the Colorado River that forms the state’s eastern boundary.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014 Colorado River Bundle

Colorado River Basin Map
Redesigned in 2017

Redesigned in 2017, this beautiful map depicts the seven Western states that share the Colorado River with Mexico. The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and the country of Mexico. Text on this beautiful, 24×36-inch map, which is suitable for framing, explains the river’s apportionment, history and the need to adapt its management for urban growth and expected climate change impacts.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law
Updated 2020

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law, recognized as the most thorough explanation of California water rights law available to non-lawyers, traces the authority for water flowing in a stream or reservoir, from a faucet or into an irrigation ditch through the complex web of California water rights.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling
Updated 2013

As the state’s population continues to grow and traditional water supplies grow tighter, there is increased interest in reusing treated wastewater for a variety of activities, including irrigation of crops, parks and golf courses, groundwater recharge and industrial uses.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Water Marketing
Updated 2005

The 20-page Layperson’s Guide to Water Marketing provides background information on water rights, types of transfers and critical policy issues surrounding this topic. First published in 1996, the 2005 version offers expanded information on groundwater banking and conjunctive use, Colorado River transfers and the role of private companies in California’s developing water market. 

Order in bulk (25 or more copies of the same guide) for a reduced fee. Contact the Foundation, 916-444-6240, for details.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to the State Water Project
Updated 2013

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the State Water Project provides an overview of the California-funded and constructed State Water Project.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water
Published 2006

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water provides an overview of the history of water development and use in Nevada. It includes sections on Nevada’s water rights laws, the history of the Truckee and Carson rivers, water supplies for the Las Vegas area, groundwater, water quality, environmental issues and today’s water supply challenges.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Flood Management
Updated 2009

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to Flood Management explains the physical flood control system, including levees; discusses previous flood events (including the 1997 flooding); explores issues of floodplain management and development; provides an overview of flood forecasting; and outlines ongoing flood control projects. 

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River
Updated 2018

Cover page for the Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River .

The Colorado River provides water to 40 million people and 4 million acres of farmland in a region encompassing some 246,000 square miles in the southwestern United States. The 32-page Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River covers the history of the river’s development; negotiations over division of its water; the items that comprise the Law of the River; and a chronology of significant Colorado River events.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to California Water
Updated 2021

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to California Water provides an excellent overview of the history of water development and use in California. It includes sections on flood management; the state, federal and Colorado River delivery systems; Delta issues; water rights; environmental issues; water quality; and options for stretching the water supply such as water marketing and conjunctive use. New in this 10th edition of the guide is a section on the human need for water. 

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
Updated 2021

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project explores the history and development of the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), California’s largest surface water delivery system. In addition to the project’s history, the guide describes the various CVP facilities, CVP operations, the benefits the CVP brought to the state and the CVP Improvement Act (CVPIA).

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Aquapedia background February 14, 2014

Francis C. Carr

Francis C. CarrFrancis C. Carr (1875-1944) and his descendants played a prominent role in the development of the federal Central Valley Project, including Shasta Dam, and the creation of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

In the Northern California community of Redding, he was a justice of peace, a renowned water rights attorney in the law firm of Carr and Kennedy and helped form the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District. He was often in the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C., advocating for funds from Congress to get this visionary project built for the benefit of all of California. In his honor, the Judge Francis Carr Powerplant was named after him.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Interested in applying for the next California Water Leaders class? IN MEMORIAM: William R. Gianelli

William R. “Bill” Gianelli

William R. “Bill” Gianelli (1919-2020) was a civil engineer who served not only as director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) from 1967-1973 during Gov. Ronald Reagan’s administration, but worked as a civil servant under Govs. Earl Warren, Goodwin Knight and Edmund G. “Pat” Brown during all phases of the California State Water Project (SWP): its design, planning and construction.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

William Hammond Hall

William Hammond Hall (1846-1934) is credited with the first proposal of an integrated flood control system with levees, weirs and bypass channels for the Sacramento Valley after his appointment as the first California state engineer.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

William Mulholland

William Mulholland (1855-1935), an immigrant from Ireland, is infamous in the history of California water and the state’s water wars for both his far-sightedness and no-holds-barred approach to delivering a controversial water supply to Southern California. He is a love-hate character with a story that has many tellings, including in the 1974 fictional movie, Chinatown.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

William E. “Bill” Warne

William E. “Bill” Warne (1905-1996) had a career for the record books that prominently featured water issues at state, federal and international levels.

He served under Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown as the second director of the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) from 1961-1967 along with also being the first Resources Agency secretary from 1961-1963 at the beginning of the construction of the California State Water Project.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Thomas J. “Tom” Graff

Thomas J. “Tom” Graff (1944-2009) opened up the California office of the Environmental Defense Fund in 1971 and was its regional director for more than 35 years.

Throughout his life, he was committed to the environment and the mentorship of environmental leaders. He was revered as an influential environmental lawyer on the state and federal water circuits and public forums and used strategic acumen to build partnerships to solve water problems with long-lasting solutions.

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Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the 26th president of the United States who established the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and created the U.S. Forest Service.

During his term of office from 1901-1909, he is credited for his efforts on conservation, increasing the number of national forests, protecting land for the public and promoting irrigation projects. For Roosevelt, water was instrumental to developing the Western states.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Stephen K. Hall

Stephen K. Hall (1951-2010) led the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) as its executive director from 1993 until retiring in 2007 from the effects of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Hall continued to stay current on water issues and to advocate for legislation on ALS at the state Capitol until he died.

His motto became “As much as I can for as long as I can.”

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Ron Stork

Ron Stork, the award-winning policy director of the Friends of the River, joined the statewide California river conservation group in 1987 as its associate conservation director. Previously he was executive director of the Merced Canyon Committee, where he directed the successful effort to obtain the National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Merced River.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Robert “Bob” M. Hagan

Robert “Bob” M. Hagan, Ph.D. (1917-2002), internationally renowned for his expertise in the relationships between plants, water, soil and water use efficiency — specifically in the area of agricultural water use — was a professor of water science, an irrigationist in the California Agricultural Experiment Station and a statewide extension specialist in the California Agricultural Extension Service during a 50-year career with the University of California, Davis.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Ronald B. Robie

Ronald B. Robie, an associate justice on the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, has made his mark on state water issues during a career in public service that has spanned all three branches of government.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Robert A. Skinner

Robert A. Skinner (1895-1986) was the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California general manager from 1962-1967. An engineer, he was instrumental in negotiating the district’s contract with the California Department of Water Resources for delivery of water from Northern California. Both Lake Skinner and a treatment plant in southwestern Riverside County were named in his honor.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson (1907-1964) authored Silent Spring, a book published in 1962 about the impacts of pesticides on the ecosystem and credited with beginning the modern environmental movement.

Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, renamed the Fish and Wildlife Service, from 1935-1952 as a biologist and then editor-in-chief of publications.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Marc Reisner

Marc Reisner (1948-2000), an environmental writer who became a celebrity in the water world, was the author of Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water (1986), a best-seller about Western water history and politics and a full-blown critique of 20th century water development, especially in California and the West. “Based on 10 years of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, provocative history of the creation of an Eden — an Eden that may be only a mirage,” according to the book’s back flap.

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Lester A. Snow

Lester SnowLester A. Snow, the mastermind behind countless water resources management projects, has been involved in water issues in two states, both the public and private sectors and on regional, state and federal levels of government.

In a timeline of his career, Snow served from 1988-1995 as the general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority after leaving the Arizona Department of Water Resources. From 1995-1999, he was the executive director of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, which included a team of both federal and state agencies.

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Aquapedia background February 10, 2014

Julian B. Hinds

Julian B. Hinds (1881-1977) was Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s general manager and chief engineer from 1941-1951, but began work on the Colorado River Aqueduct in 1929 soon after the district was organized.

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John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) was historic and heroic for being first to lead an expedition down the Colorado River in 1869. A major who lost an arm in the Civil War Battle of Shiloh, he was an explorer, geologist, geographer and ethnologist.

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John R. Teerink

John R. Teerink (1921-1992) was the director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) from 1973-1975 during Governor Ronald Reagan’s administration.He had various lead roles in the implementation of the State Water Project during his 29-year career at DWR. He progressed through the ranks as junior engineer, assistant chief engineer and then deputy director until his appointment to head the department.

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John Muir

John Muir (1838-1914) was a famous and influential naturalist and conservationist who founded the Sierra Club in 1892 and was its president until he died. Throughout his life, this man from Scotland was also a farmer, inventor, sheepherder, explorer and writer.

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Joan Didion

Joan Didion (1934-2021) was a native California author and playwright whose famous writings have featured California water issues.

Born and reared in Sacramento, she wrote extensively and personally about her feelings on the subject of water. In her memoir, Where I Was From, she told not only the story about her pioneering family’s roots in the Sacramento area but also of the seasonal flooding, the water politics and controversies, and the California State Water Project (SWP) and federal Central Valley Project (CVP).

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Jean Auer

Jean Auer (1937-2005) was the first woman to serve on the California State Water Resources Control Board and a pioneer for women aspiring to be leaders in the water world.

She is described as a “woman of great spirit who made large contributions to improve the waters of California.” She was appointed as the State Water Board’s public member by then-Governor Ronald Reagan and served from 1972-1977 during a time period that included the passage of the federal Clean Water Act. She became part of the growing movement for water quality regulations to stop water pollution.

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Aquapedia background February 10, 2014

Ira J. “Jack” Chrisman

Ira J. “Jack” Chrisman (1910-1988) became a well-known force in California’s water history beginning back in 1955 after his family home was flooded in the San Joaquin Valley town of Visalia.

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Aquapedia background February 4, 2014

Hiram W. Wadsworth

Hiram W. Wadsworth (1862-1939) is known as the father of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. As the mayor of Pasadena, he called for a regional partnership of municipalities to bring water to Southern California. After initiating the Colorado River Aqueduct Association and being elected its president, he directed the campaign from 1924-1929 that led to the establishment of the district. The pumping plant at Diamond Valley Lake, located 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County, was named the Hiram W. Wadsworth Pumping/Hydro-generating Facility in his honor.

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Aquapedia background February 4, 2014

Harvey O. Banks

Harvey O. Banks (1910-1996), a lifelong civil engineer, played an integral role in the development of water projects in California.

He became the first director of the state Department of Water Resources, appointed by Governor Goodwin J. Knight on July 5, 1956 — the date the department was officially established. He continued as director under Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown. During Banks’ tenure as director from 1956-1961, he was key in the planning and the initial construction of the California State Water Project (SWP).

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

Gordon Cologne

Gordon Cologne served for 10 years in the California Legislature during the 1960s and early 1970s while the California State Water Project was being built.

His interest in water issues began from his early life in the Coachella Valley desert. An attorney, he worked in both the public sector in Washington, D.C, and then in private practice in California. He also served his local community as a member of the city of Indio City Council, including as mayor, before his decision to run for election to fill an open seat in the Assembly.

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

Elwood Mead

Elwood Mead (1858-1936) was the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation during the era of the development of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, Grand Coulee Dam in Washington and Owyhee Dam in Oregon, among other large water projects.

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

Edward Hyatt Jr.

Edward Hyatt Jr. (1888-1954) was the state engineer of California from 1927-1950. In a 1928 report he wrote titled “Water is the Life Blood of California — The Division of Engineering and Irrigation of the State Department of Public Works; What it Does and How it Operates,” he called the department the “building organization of California’s state government” and described successes, challenges and responsibilities of his position.

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

Don McCrea

Don McCrea was one of the founding members of the Water Education Foundation and signed its original Articles of Incorporation in 1977.

His background was in power and energy issues, including hydrology and the state’s hydrologic system, from a career at the Pacific Gas & Electric Company in San Francisco. He was involved in the development of the State Water Project as a proponent of the value of hydroelectricity.

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

David N. Kennedy

David N. Kennedy (1936-2007) was at the helm as the director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for 15 years, the longest serving director to date, and a champion of the State Water Project (SWP).

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Aquapedia background February 3, 2014

David A. Gaines

David A. Gaines (1947-1988) is known for founding the Mono Lake Committee in 1978 with the goal of preserving its ecosystem and leading a grassroots effort to “Save Mono Lake.” The result would be an environmental cause célèbre. As a synopsis of the Mono Lake litigation, in 1979 a lawsuit was filed against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) to stop diversions to Southern California — citing the public trust values at Mono Lake.

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  • Mono Lake Committee
Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Clair A. Hill

Clair A. Hill (1909-1998), a self-made engineer nicknamed “California’s Mr. Water,” built from the ground up an engineering firm that would merge to form the global consulting firm of CH2M HILL.

In 1938 in his hometown of Redding along the Upper Sacramento River in Northern California, he founded Clair A. Hill & Associates. Before merging with CH2M in 1971, the two firms had collaborated on many projects together, including the Lake Tahoe Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility — the first of its kind in the world.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Carley V. Porter

Carley V. Porter (1906-1972) was the longtime chairman of the California Legislature’s Assembly Committee on Water who has two historical and important water laws named after him. He was a Democrat from Compton in Los Angeles County and a teacher before being elected to the Assembly.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

California Water Timeline

1769 First permanent Spanish settlements established. Water rights established by Spanish law.

1848 Gold discovered on the American River. Treaty of Guadalupe signed, California ceded from Mexico, California republic established.

1850 California admitted to Union. Construction begins on Delta levees and channels.

1860 Legislature authorizes the formation of levee and reclamation districts.

1862  Major flood in Sacramento Valley inundates new city.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

California Gold Rush and Today’s Water

More than 100 years ago, California’s Gold Rush left a toxic legacy that continues to cause problems in Northern California watersheds.

The discovery of gold in John Sutter’s millrace at Coloma in the 1840s drew people from around the globe.

Over the course of decades, intense efforts were focused on washing and prying gold from the hills of the Sierra Nevada.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

C.W. “Bill” Jones

C.W. “Bill” Jones (1918-2003) was an historical water figure known for his pioneering efforts in bringing water deliveries to the agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Bernice Frederic “B.F.” “Bernie” Sisk

Bernice Frederic “B.F.” “Bernie” Sisk (1910-1995) represented the San Joaquin Valley in the U.S. Congress for nearly a quarter of a century from 1955-1978.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Arthur D. Edmonston

Arthur D. Edmonston directed the early planning of the Central Valley Project, State Water Project and State Water Plan.

He served as California state engineer and chief of the Division of Water Resources (predecessor to the Department of Water Resources) from 1950-1955, a time of rapid population, agricultural and industry growth California. Water shortages were common, and groundwater supplies were being overdrafted.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014 Anne J. Schneider Fund Lecture Series

Anne J. Schneider

Anne J. Schneider (1947-2010) is acknowledged as one of the first women to become well-known and well-respected in the field of California and Western water law. “Anne was an amazing person — an accomplished college athlete, mountain climber, skier, marathon runner, velodrome and long-distance cyclist; a devoted mother; a dedicated conservationist,” said Justice Ronald B. Robie in the Inaugural Anne J. Schneider Memorial Lecture in May 2012.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Alex Hildebrand

Alex Hildebrand (1913-2012) had an understanding and knowledge of California’s South Delta and San Joaquin River bar none. After retiring early from a career as an engineer for Standard Oil of California, he moved his family to the San Joaquin Valley where he farmed for nearly 50 years while active in water issues and as an advocate for the area.

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014

Adolph Moskovitz

Adolph Moskovitz (1923-1996) is remembered as one of the leading water resources attorneys in the country and has been described as “brilliant” by his many peers in the legal profession.

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Western Water Excerpt January 1, 1997 Sue McClurgRita Schmidt Sudman

20 Years of H2O
Jan/Feb 1997

We were pleased to receive the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s highest award in the area of water conservation recently. The Foundation was recognized for being a long-term industry leader for conservation in California and the West. With receipt of this award and the contents of this latest Western Water, I’ve been reflecting on the more than 17 years I have spent at the Foundation. As Sue McClurg chronicles in her article, a series of talented people have worked both as staff and volunteers through our 20 years. Certainly the Foundation owes much of its success to these people.

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Water Academy

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