REGISTRATION OPENS DEC 10!

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

Check out this highlight video of one of our recent tours!

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 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 is the focus of this tour.

This year’s tour comes while the river is undergoing extraordinary and historic turmoil, just over a century after signing of the 1922 Colorado River Compact that anchors a collection of legal documents collectively known as the “Law of the River.” The compact divided the river’s watershed into two basins, established the water allotment for each basin and provided a framework for management of the river’s water resources.

Already plagued by more than 20 years of drought, officials and water users are experiencing unprecedented conditions fueled by climate change. The long period of extreme dryness has sent Lake Powell and Lake Mead plunging to record low elevations and prompted the first-ever shortage declaration to occur in 2022. Despite a Drought Contingency Plan and other measures enacted over the past several years, experts agree even more urgent actions will be required before the current set of operating guidelines expire after 2026.

This 3-day, 2-night tour journeys along the Lower Colorado River from Hoover Dam and Lake Mead to the Salton Sea and the Coachella Valley, including a boat trip through scenic Topock Gorge. Along the way, experts will discuss challenges related to what is the most contested, beloved for recreation and meticulously managed river in the United States.

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

What attendees say about this tour:

“The program for the tour was put together extremely well to create a cohesive learning experience. The tour enhanced my understanding of demands on the river and how managers are working to address water availability.”

“I highly recommend this tour to others. I feel this coming-together is very important to the future of water cooperation in California and the West. The tour helped me meet water users that I knew vaguely, and turned them into real people with real issues and real lives.”

“The quality of the speakers was amazing – truly great to hear from so many experts to understand different perspectives.”

Planned Stops Include:

• Hoover Dam
• Lake Mead
• Central Arizona Project’s Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
• Whitsett Intake Pumping Plant on the Colorado River Aqueduct
• Farms in the Palo Verde, Imperial & Coachella valleys
• Imperial Dam and the All-American Canal
• The Salton Sea

Planned Topics Include:

• Law of the River
• Drought conditions & contingency planning in the Colorado River Basin
• Lower Basin state perspectives – Arizona, California & Nevada
• Tribal water rights & use
• The Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA)
• Warren H. Brock Storage Reservoir & lining 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

Tour Start & End Points:

The tour starts at 7:30 a.m. on March 11 in Las Vegas and ends at Ontario International Airport in California at 6:30 p.m. on March 13.

A limited number of ”California Option” tickets are available which starts and ends the tour for participants in California. Find more information under Pricing Details.

The tour includes overnight stays in Lake Havasu City, AZ, and Winterhaven, CA, which are arranged by the Foundation and covered by the registration fee.

The tour begins at the Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South which offers a free shuttle from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). A discounted room rate for tour participants has been arranged and a self-pay booking link is provided upon registration for the tour.

Pricing Details:

General – $999 (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 points.

California Option – $1,199

This ticket option is designed for state agency employees with travel expense restrictions, but is available to any participant who wants transportation aboard the tour bus on the afternoon of March 10, from Ontario Airport in Southern California to Las Vegas and a hotel room that night. Meals on March 10 are not included. Availability is limited, so contact Nick Gray via email if you have any questions.

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.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

The deadline to cancel and receive a refund is three weeks prior to the first day of the tour due to lodging, meal and transportation commitments. Substitutions are allowed up to five business days before the tour. Credit card processing fees are nonrefundable and the remaining refund amount may be subject to additional fees.

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.

MCLE Credit Hours:

Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit hours are available only to California attorneys for an additional fee. Contact Nick Gray via email with any questions.

REGISTRATION OPENS DEC 10!