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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. 

Hoover Dam

This three-hour virtual tour was hosted by Nick Gray and Jenn Bowles with technical support from Liz McAllister and included:

  • An overview presentation on the Lower Colorado River Basin
  • An hour-long video tour of key stops along the Lower Colorado River
  • Live Q&A with the speakers in chat rooms where attendees could dive deeper into the topics

Topics Included:

  • Drought conditions & contingency planning in the Colorado River Basin
  • Lower Basin state perspectives – Arizona, California & Nevada
  • The Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA)
  • Warren H. Brock Storage Reservoir & the All-American Canal
  • Binational water management
  • Agricultural water use, drainage issues & salinity
  • Urban use, history & development
  • The Colorado River Basin Study
  • Endangered species & the Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP)
  • Salton Sea restoration 
  • Climate change

As part of the event, participants received a copy of our Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River and were entered into a drawing to win one of the Foundation’s beautiful water maps.

What attendees say about our virtual tours:

“Great job! I want to see all this in person. Will have to be on the bus next year.”

“Amazing event. Thank you so much. WEF is an amazing resource to the water community, which is everyone!”

“Thank you to all WEF staff for putting together such a great tour. Your ability to adapt is fantastic, and I hope that you produce more virtual tours like this.”

Stops Included:

  • Hoover Dam
  • Lake Mead
  • Central Arizona Project facilities
  • Whitsett Intake Pumping Plant, Copper Basin & other Metropolitan Water District of Southern California facilities
  • Farms in the Palo Verde, Imperial & Coachella valleys
  • The Salton Sea

Featured Experts Included:

  • Mike Bernardo, river operations manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Basin
  • Seth Shanahan, Colorado River programs manager with the Southern Nevada Water Authority 
  • Dale Thompson, supervisor with the Central Arizona Project
  • Gene Patricio, section manager, and Jason Rollo, inspection trip manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
  • Bart Fisher, farmer and trustee of the Palo Verde Irrigation District
  • Brian Golding, Sr., economic development director for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe
  • Tina Shields, water manager with Imperial Irrigation District
  • Chris Schoneman, project leader with the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
  • Gail Sevrens, Salton Sea program manager for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Patrick O’Dowd, executive director of the Salton Sea Authority
  • Peter Nelson, board member of the Coachella Valley Water District

Pricing Details:

Cost was $179 and included one copy of our Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River.

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

Deadline to cancel and receive a refund is three days prior to the virtual tour. Substitutions are allowed up to two days before the tour. Eventbrite fees are nonrefundable and the remaining amount may be subject to an additional 10% processing fee.

Continuing Education Credits:

Continuing education credits are available for California attorneys for an additional fee, and may be available for water plant/wastewater plant operators and other vocations/professions.

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Tour Sponsors

Sponsors June 18, 2014

Bureau of Reclamation – Lower Colorado Basin
Major Sponsor

One of five Reclamation regions, the Lower Colorado Region serves as the watermaster for the last 688 miles of the Colorado River, as well as Hoover, Davis and Parker dams.

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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 April 4, 2017

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Tour Sponsor

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a regional wholesaler that delivers water to 26 member public agencies – 14 cities, 11 municipal water districts, one county water authority – which in turn provides water to more than 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.

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Sponsors June 18, 2014

Imperial Irrigation District
Tour Sponsor

IID has two core businesses and one overarching mission – to keep the lights on and the water flowing. These two basic functions of IID, both having to do with meeting our customers’ essential needs, require extensive planning, teamwork and, above all, consistency. 

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Sponsors June 18, 2014

Southern Nevada Water Authority
Tour Sponsor

Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is a cooperative, not-for-profit agency formed in 1991 to address Southern Nevada’s unique water needs on a regional basis. Collectively, SNWA member agencies serve more than 2.2 million residents in Southern Nevada. As the wholesale water provider, SNWA is responsible for water treatment and delivery, as well as acquiring and managing long-term water resources for Southern Nevada to provide world-class water service in a sustainable, adaptive, and responsible manner to our customers.

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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
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.

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Announcement April 21, 2021

Learn About Infrastructure and Environmental Restoration During Lower Colorado River Tour
Our virtual journey of the iconic river happens May 20

Brian Golding, Sr., Economic Development Director, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, stands in the Yuma East WetlandsVisit key infrastructure and environmental restoration sites along the lower Colorado River during our online tour May 20 of the iconic river as it weaves through the Lower Basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona.

Our Lower Colorado River Tour starts at Hoover Dam near Las Vegas and stops at major agricultural regions, tourist destinations and key wildlife areas such as the Salton Sea and a wildlife refuge in Yuma, Ariz. resulting from a tribal-city partnership.

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This item appears in:
  • Topic List: Agriculture
  • Topic: Climate Change
  • Topic: Colorado River
  • Event Calendar
  • Topic: Drought
  • Topic: Water History
  • Topic: Nevada
  • Topic: Water Rights
  • Past Tours & Events
  • Topic: Energy and Water
  • Topic: Floods
  • Topic: Hoover Dam
  • Los Angeles
  • Topic: Groundwater
  • Topic: Salton Sea
  • Topic: Water Quality
  • Topic: Lake Mead
  • San Diego
  • Topic: Hydropower
  • Topic: Recreation
  • Topic: Surface Water
  • Topic: Southern California
  • Topic: Tribal Water Issues
  • Topic: Water Supply
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