Find out what the Water Education Foundation is up to with
announcements about upcoming events, tours, new Western
Water articles on key water topics and more!
Sign up here to get announcements sent to
your inbox.
With 2022 coming to a close, registration for the Foundation’s
early 2023 programming is right around the corner. Don’t
miss the once-a-year opportunities for our
Water 101 Workshop in February and our
Lower Colorado River Tour in March.
Mark your calendars now for the week of Jan. 9
when registration will open for both events.
The Water Education Foundation’s
seventh edition of the Layperson’s
Guide to Water Conservation is hot off the
press and available for purchase. With California and the West in
the grip of persistent drought, the guide provides an excellent
overview of the forces driving conservation and the measures
water users are taking to more efficiently use our most vital
natural resource.
The 20-page guide covers such topics as how drought and climate
change are affecting California and the Colorado River Basin, how
some Southwestern cities are stretching supplies, the impact of
landscape choices on water use, how farms are changing to more
efficient irrigation practices, and what homeowners can to do
save water.
Our 2022 Water Leaders class
completed its year with a report outlining policy recommendations
for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Quality Control Plan
update.
The cohort of 20
up-and-coming leaders from various water-related
fields – engineers, attorneys, planners, scientists and
those from the environmental and agricultural sectors – had
full editorial control to choose recommendations.
Attend a Southern California workshop this Thursday or join
virtually to find out more about what’s in store for Water Year
2023.
Apply for the 2023 cohort of our popular Water Leaders
program by tomorrow (Dec. 7) at 5 p.m.
Support water education with year-end donation or workplace
giving programs.
Take advantage of a holiday special on a California water
book.
Winter Outlook Workshop in Irvine, Dec. 8
Don’t miss our Winter Outlook
Workshop in Irvine this Thursday, Dec. 8, to
hear what may be ahead for California’s water supply in 2023 as
well as the latest improvements to snowmelt runoff forecasts.
This one-day workshop will include insight into whether La
Niña conditions projected to persist into this winter really mean
anything as a predictor in the new reality of climate whiplash.
Speakers include:
Mike Anderson, California’s state climatologist, who will
provide a recap of Water Year 2022 and a look at
prospects for Water Year 2023
Sean DeGuzman, Chief of Snow Surveys and Water Supply
Forecasting for the California Department of Water Resources, who
will talk about improvements to snowmelt runoff
forecasting
Emerson Lajoie, meteorologist at NOAA’s Climate Prediction
Center, who will talk about the the
center’s experimental Water Year outlook
You can
view a full agenda here. The event is ideal for
anyone involved in managing, modeling or forecasting water
resources or anyone simply interested in hearing the latest
science.
Hear what may be ahead for
California’s water supply in 2023 as well as the latest
improvements to snowmelt runoff forecasts at our Winter
Outlook Workshop next Thursday, Dec. 8 in
Southern California.
The one-day workshop in Irvine will include insight into whether
La Niña conditions projected to persist into this winter really
mean anything as a predictor in the new reality of climate
whiplash. You also will learn about what is and isn’t known
in forecasting winter precipitation weeks to months ahead, the
skill of present forecasts and ongoing research to develop
predictive ability.
This event is ideal for anyone involved in managing, modeling or
forecasting water resources or anyone simply interested in
hearing the latest science.
There is less than a week left to
apply for our 2023 Water Leaders class and be
considered for the new cohort of California’s preeminent
water leadership program.
And, if you work for a member of the Association of California
Water Agencies, you can apply to have tuition and some
travel expenses covered under the
John P. Fraser Water Leaders Fellowship.
Launched in 1997, the Water Leaders program is aimed at providing
a deeper understanding of California water issues, building
leadership skills and preparing class members to take an active,
cooperative approach to decision-making about water resources
by studying a water-related topic in-depth
and crafting policy recommendations.
Watch
a short video here of Water Leader alums talking about
their experience and the benefits of the program.
The deadline to apply for the 2023 class is Wednesday,
Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. Find the online application form and other
required items for your
application package here.
Here’s a sweet deal for the holidays
that won’t last long: Get our paperback “Water & the
Shaping of California,” a treasure trove of gorgeous
color photos, historic maps, water literature and famous sayings
about water for just $17.50 – a 50% discount.
“Water & the Shaping of California” is a beautifully designed
book that discusses the engineering feats, political decisions
and popular opinions that reshaped nature and society, leading to
the water projects that created the California we know today. The
book includes a foreword by the late Kevin Starr, the Golden
State’s premier historian.
Since 1977 the Water Education
Foundation has committed its work to inspiring better
understanding and supporting critical conversations about our
most vital natural resource: water. This is not a mission our
impartial nonprofit can carry on without you.
Today on Giving Tuesday, a global day of philanthropy, please
consider making a tax-deductible
donation to support the important work we do to provide
impartial education and foster informed decision-making on water
resource issues in California and the West.
Today on Giving Tuesday, a global
day of philanthropy, you can support impartial education and
informed decision-making on water resources in California and the
West by making a tax-deductible donation to
the Water Education Foundation.
Your support ensures that our 45-year legacy of producing
in-depth news, educational workshops and accessible information
on water reaches new heights in 2023.
Don’t miss our Winter
Outlook Workshop on Dec. 8 in Irvine to hear an
update on what might be in store for this water year, the
latest improvements to snowmelt runoff forecasts and insight into
whether La Niña conditions projected to persist into this winter
really mean anything as a predictor in this new reality of
climate whiplash.
You will learn about what is and isn’t known in forecasting
winter precipitation weeks to months ahead, the skill of present
forecasts and ongoing research to develop predictive ability.
Speakers at the workshop include:
Mike Anderson, California’s state climatologist, who will
provide a recap of Water Year 2022 and a look at
prospects for Water Year 2023
Sean DeGuzman, Chief of Snow Surveys and Water Supply
Forecasting for the California Department of Water Resources, who
will talk about improvements to snowmelt runoff
forecasting
Emerson Lajoie, meteorologist at NOAA’s Climate Prediction
Center, who will talk about the the center’s experimental
Water Year outlook
As drought extends its grip on
California and the West, the important work of educating about
water becomes even more important. Since 1977, the Water
Education Foundation has been a trusted source of water news and
programming, putting water resource issues in California and the
West into context.
You can support the important work of our nonprofit by
making a tax-deductible gift via a one-time payroll
deduction or a set amount per pay period through your
employer, whether you work for a federal or state agency or a
private employer.
Attend a Southern California workshop to find out more about
what’s in store for Water Year 2023 and how improvements in
weather forecasting can help with water management decisions.
Apply for the 2023 cohort of our popular Water Leaders
program.
Support water education through paycheck deductions.
Winter Outlook Workshop in Irvine, Dec. 8:
Register to join
us Thursday, Dec. 8, for our Winter Outlook
Workshop in Irvine. The past three-year
span, 2019 to 2022, has officially been the driest ever statewide
going back to 1895 when modern records began in California.
With La Niña conditions predicted to persist into this winter,
what can reliably be said about the prospects for Water Year
2023? Does La Niña really mean anything for California or is it
all washed up as a predictor in this new reality of climate
whiplash, and has any of this affected our reliance on historical
patterns to forecast California’s water supply?
Rachel Becker, who covers water
resource issues for the nonprofit news website CalMatters, is the
first recipient of the Water Education Foundation’s Rita Schmidt
Sudman Award for Excellence in Water Journalism honoring
outstanding work that illuminates complicated water issues in
California and the West.
Foundation Executive Director Jenn Bowles announced the award
Oct. 27 at the Foundation’s Water Summit in Sacramento. Joining
Bowles for the presentation was her predecessor, Sudman, a former
radio and television reporter who led the Foundation for nearly
35 years.
Join a virtual Q&A session on Nov. 9 to get an
overview of our popular but competitive Water
Leaders program and tips on applying for the 2023 cohort.
The Water
Leaders program is aimed at providing a deeper
understanding of California water issues and building
leadership skills with class members by studying a water-related
topic in-depth and working with a mentor.
The deadline to apply for the 2023 class is Dec. 7, 2022, at 5
p.m. The 10-month program starts with a mandatory orientation on
Jan. 26, 2023.
Applications for our 2023 Water Leaders class are now open, and
don’t forget to sign up for our virtual Q&A session
on Nov. 9 if you are interested in applying or
supporting a candidate.
Our Oct. 27 Water Summit is sold out but find
out how you can get on the waitlist; and save the date for
Winter Weather Outlook workshop Dec. 8 in Southern
California.
The Water Education Foundation is
mourning the loss of its Board
President Mike Chrisman, the former California Natural
Resources Secretary whose family ties to the Foundation go back
to its founding in 1977.
Mr. Chrisman, of Visalia, died from complications of cancer
Tuesday, Oct. 11. He was 78.
“We are devastated to learn about Mike’s passing,” said Jenn
Bowles, the Foundation’s executive director. “He was a
wonderfully supportive board president who cared deeply about our
mission and was constantly offering to help. Among other things,
he served as a mentor to up-and-coming professionals in our
Water Leaders
program.”
Seats are filling up fast for our remaining fall events, so grab
a ticket while you can. Also, check out our virtual
Q&A session on Nov. 9 for those interested in
applying for next year’s Water Leaders class. More details below.
You can support the Water Education
Foundation’s efforts to educate about water resources in
California and the West through the annual workplace giving
programs now underway with federal, state and private employers.
Whether you joined one of our our water tours, participated in
our Water Leaders program, kept up-to-date with our weekday
Aquafornia water newsfeed or Western Water news
articles, or perused our Layperson’s Guides to key water issues,
you already know our strong commitment to improving understanding
of and appreciation for our most crucial natural resource.
Our inaugural 2022 Colorado River Water
Leaders class completed its six-month program with a
report outlining key policy recommendations for managing the
Colorado River after existing operating guidelines expire in
2026.
The class of 13
up-and-coming leaders included engineers, lawyers,
resource specialists, scientists and others working for public,
private and nongovernmental organizations from across the river’s
basin. The class had full editorial control to choose its
recommendations.
