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Tour April 26, 2023 - 7:30am - April 28, 2023 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Thomas Harter Announcement: Explore drought-to-deluge impacts & opportunities on Central Valley Tour Announcement: Visit groundwater's epicenter on April Central Valley Tour; check out groundwater resources Announcement: Explore breadth & depth of the 'nation's breadbasket' on the Central Valley Tour April 26-28

Central Valley Tour 2023
Field Trip - April 26-28

NEARLY SOLD OUT - Click here to register!

This tour ventures through California’s Central Valley, known as the nation’s breadbasket thanks to an imported supply of surface water and local groundwater. Covering about 20,000 square miles through the heart of the state, the valley provides 25 percent of the nation’s food, including 40 percent of all fruits, nuts and vegetables consumed throughout the country.

This 3-day, 2-night tour focuses on the San Joaquin Valley, the southern part of the vast region, which is facing challenges after years of drought, dwindling water supplies, decreasing water quality and farmland conversion for urban growth. Led by Foundation staff and Thomas Harter, Chair for Water Resources Management and Policy at the University of California, Davis, the tour gives participants an understanding of the region’s water use and issues as well as the agricultural practices, including new technologies and water-saving measures. 

Participants will visit farms and some of the state’s major infrastructure, such as Friant Dam and the San Luis Reservoir, as well as the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, a major wintering ground and migratory stopover point for large concentrations of waterfowl and shorebirds. The tour begins and ends at the Foundation’s office in Sacramento.

Contact Programs Director Nick Gray via email with any tour questions.

What attendees say about this tour:

“It was very impactful to see the variety of perspectives at the ground level. Reading about issues can seem almost fictional. Seeing the reservoirs and farms with my own eyes truly deepened my understanding of San Joaquin Valley.”

“This was a fantastic tour. In three days, I had the opportunity to meet numerous experts in the field. It was a nice blend of speakers.”

“The tour was extremely organized. The information/material, speakers, and opinions were well rounded and I enjoyed engaging with farmers and other industry leaders who are on the frontlines of California water.”

Planned Stops Include:

  • Kern Water Bank
  • San Joaquin River
  • Terminus Dam
  • Mendota Pool
  • Friant Dam
  • San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
  • San Luis Reservoir

Planned Topics Include:

  • Water supply & drought
  • Flood management
  • Groundwater banking
  • Surface water storage
  • Subsidence
  • Wetlands
  • Agricultural supply & drainage

Tour Start & End Point:

The tour starts at 7:30 a.m. on April 26 and ends at 6:30 p.m. on April 28 at the Water Education Foundation office, 2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205, Sacramento, CA. Free parking is available.

The tour includes overnight stays in Coalinga and Visalia which are arranged by the Foundation and covered by the registration fee.

The Courtyard Sacramento Airport Natomas is next door to the Water Education Foundation and also offers a shuttle to/from Sacramento International Airport (SMF). We have a discounted room rate arranged there and self-pay booking options are provided upon registration for the tour.

An alternative departure point from the tour on Friday afternoon in the Turlock area can also be arranged. Please contact Programs Director Nick Gray via email for details.

Pricing Details:

General – $959 (one person, single-occupancy room)

Fee includes all tour meals, transportation, materials, snacks and hotel accommodations once the tour begins Wednesday. Meals covered by the registration fee include lunch on Wednesday through lunch on Friday. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the tour’s beginning and end point.

A limited amount of scholarship funding is available to pay for a portion of the tour. Scholarships are awarded based on a few factors, including:

  • Financial need
  • Reason for scholarship request
  • How the education & experience will be used after the tour

Contact Nick Gray via email to apply or for more information.

COVID-19 Policy:

The Foundation continues to monitor developments with COVID-19. Precautions will be implemented during the tour including enhanced sanitation protocols and an itinerary that maximizes use of outdoor/open-air spaces when feasible.

Despite these mitigating circumstances, an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any place where people gather. All participants should consider their personal choices around harm reduction and risk tolerance in the face of current variants and the likelihood of additional variants emerging in the future.

Acceptance of an assumption of risk waiver is required during registration for the tour.

We ask participants not to attend if, within 72 hours of the tour start date, they have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking muscle pain/achiness, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the CDC).

If a participant tests positive or is exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 within 5 days of the tour start date, they must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of the tour start date regardless of their vaccination status.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

Deadline to cancel and receive a refund is three weeks prior to the first day of the tour due to hotel, meal and transportation commitments. Substitutions are allowed up to five business days before the tour. Eventbrite fees are nonrefundable and the remaining amount may be subject to an additional 10% processing fee.

We recognize that unexpected conflicts with our tours can occur from time to time. The Water Education Foundation recommends you consider arranging travel insurance from a provider of your choice soon after tour registration to protect against such unfortunate events.

Continuing Education Credits:

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

Click here to register!

Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
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Tour Sponsors

Sponsors February 11, 2015

Bureau of Reclamation – California-Great Basin
Major Sponsor

One of five Reclamation regions, the California-Great Basin region covers the northern two-thirds of California, most of western Nevada and part of southern Oregon. The region places great importance on fulfilling its obligations for water delivery, water conservation, water recycling and reuse, power generation, and protecting natural and cultural resources.

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Sponsors June 18, 2014

California Department of Water Resources
Major Sponsor

California Department of Water Resources

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is responsible for managing and protecting California’s water. DWR works with other agencies to benefit the state’s people, and to protect, restore and enhance the natural and human environments.

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Sponsors February 28, 2018

Stantec
Trailblazer Sponsor

At Stantec, our business objective is to maintain our position as a top tier global design and delivery firm. Our local strength, knowledge, and relationships, coupled with our world-class expertise, have allowed us to go anywhere to meet our clients’ needs in more creative and personalized ways. With a long-term commitment to the people and places we serve, Stantec has the unique ability to connect to projects on a personal level and advance the quality of life in communities across the globe. 

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Sponsors June 18, 2014

Turlock Irrigation District
Adventurer Sponsor

Turlock Irrigation District (TID) was the first publicly owned irrigation district in California, and is one of only four irrigation districts in California that provides irrigation water as well as electric retail energy directly to homes, farms and businesses. We are driven by our mission to provide reliable and competitively priced irrigation water and electric service, while being good stewards of our resources and providing a high level of customer satisfaction.

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Sponsors March 10, 2022

Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe
Traveler Sponsor

Home of the Quechan (Kwatsáan) Indians, the Fort Yuma-Quechan Reservation is located along both sides of the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona, and borders the states of Arizona, California and Baja California, Mexico. Largely an agriculture community encompassing 45,000 acres, the Tribe leases its thousands of acres for agriculture to both Indian and non-Indian farmers.

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Tour April 26, 2023 - 7:30am - April 28, 2023 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Thomas Harter Announcement: Explore drought-to-deluge impacts & opportunities on Central Valley Tour Announcement: Visit groundwater's epicenter on April Central Valley Tour; check out groundwater resources Announcement: Explore breadth & depth of the 'nation's breadbasket' on the Central Valley Tour April 26-28
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
View map
Profile August 13, 2018

Nick Gray
Programs Director

Nick manages many of our workshops, conferences and tours of key water regions across California and the Southwest, bringing attendees up close to dams and other water infrastructure, wildlife areas, farms and other sites involved in water.

  • Read more
Board Member June 26, 2014

Thomas Harter
University of California

Thomas Harter joined the faculty at the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at University of California, Davis in 1995. His research focuses on nonpoint-source pollution of groundwater, groundwater resources evaluation under uncertainty, groundwater modeling and contaminant transport.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news March 23, 2023 Water Education Foundation

Announcement: Explore drought-to-deluge impacts & opportunities on Central Valley Tour

The feast or famine nature of California water has never been more apparent than now. After three years of punishing drought, the state has been slammed by a dozen atmospheric rivers. On our Central Valley Tour next month, you will see the ramifications of this nature in action. Focusing on the San Joaquin Valley, the tour will bring you up close to farmers, cities and disadvantaged communities as well as managers trying to capture flood waters to augment overpumped groundwater basins while also protecting communities from damaging flood impacts. Despite the recent rains, the San Joaquin Valley most years deals with little to no water deliveries for agricultural irrigation and wetland habitat management. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 9, 2023 Water Education Foundation

Announcement: Visit groundwater’s epicenter on April Central Valley Tour; check out groundwater resources

Explore the epicenter of groundwater sustainability on our Central Valley Tour April 26-28 and engage directly with some of the most important leaders and experts in water storage, management and delivery, agriculture, habitat, land use policy and water equity. The tour focuses on the San Joaquin Valley, which has struggled with consistently little to no surface water deliveries and increasing pressure to reduce groundwater usage to sustainable levels while also facing water quality and access challenges for disadvantaged communities. Led by Foundation staff and groundwater expert Thomas Harter, Chair for Water Resources Management and Policy at the University of California, Davis, the tour explores topics such as subsidence, water supply and drought, flood management, groundwater banking and recharge, surface water storage, agricultural supply and drainage, wetlands and more. Register here!

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Water Education Foundation

Announcement: Explore breadth & depth of the ‘nation’s breadbasket’ on the Central Valley Tour April 26-28

California’s climate whiplash has been on full display in the San Joaquin Valley this winter as the region has shifted from managing three years of drought impacts to enduring widespread flooding following a series of intense atmospheric rivers. Our Central Valley Tour at the end of April is your best opportunity to understand both the challenges and opportunities of water management in the region. The 3-day, 2-night tour tour weaves around and across the entire valley to give you a firsthand look at farms, wetlands and major infrastructure such as Friant Dam in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Fresno and San Luis Reservoir in the Coastal Range near Los Banos, the nation’s largest off-stream reservoir and a key water facility serving both the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
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