Water Education Foundation

Meet our 2025 California Water Leader cohort! The 21 rising stars were selected in a very competitive process to take part in our program that deepens water knowledge, enhances individual leadership skills and prepares participants to take an active, cooperative approach to decision-making about water resources. Members of the cohort met each other last week at our office in Sacramento where they learned more about the program and went to lunch by the nearby Sacramento River. This year, the cohort will be debating how to modernize water rights in Cailfornia to address the effects of prolonged drought, climate change and other modern-day challenges. They'll come up with their findings by the end of the year so stay tuned! Take a look at who made the cohort! ⬇️ ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gCevUCFe #cawater #water #leadership

This week is National Groundwater Awareness Week, an event to highlight the importance of responsible management of groundwater. Just over 10 years ago, California lawmakers passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), an effort to rein in groundwater overuse in California and safeguard aquifers for the long term. Colloquially referred to as “Sigma,” the law directs local agencies to develop custom-tailored water-management plans to protect the groundwater basins on which they depend. So we’re making the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) our Water Word of the Week. You can learn more about SGMA and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gCurwpw5 #cawater #groundwater

Today, March 3, is United Nations World Wildlife Day to celebrate wild animals and plants. So our Water Word this week is Pacific Flyway. (OK, sure smarty pants, it’s two words. But you get the idea.) If you look to the skies you won’t have to wait long to see birds on their annual migration along the Pacific Flyway, one of four major North American migration routes for birds, especially waterbirds, that stretches from Alaska in the north to Patagonia in South America. You can learn more about the Pacific Flyway and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia. ⬇️ ⬇️  https://lnkd.in/gedAe43y #water #cawater #PacificFlyway #wildlife

Go beyond the recent headlines and gain a deeper understanding of how water flows across California with our engaging April programs! Grab a ticket while they last for a great primer on California water featuring experts on #waterlaw, #groundwater, #waterpolicy and more at our Water 101 Workshop on April 10 at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. And join our Central Valley Tour April 23-25 to get a firsthand look at Terminus Dam, where the federal government released water from Lake Kaweah in late January. You can find details & registration info here.⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g4esQztB  #cawater #water

We're raising a glass -- of water, naturally -- to celebrate our 48th anniversary today. We were founded as a nonprofit on Feb. 25, 1977, in the midst of a severe drought. Our founders knew it was critical to provide people in California and across the West with an impartial source of information about our most precious natural resource -- water. So our Water Word this week is the Water Education Foundation! To learn more about our history and the people behind our Foundation, and how we carry out our mission, go to https://lnkd.in/gpC2H63 #cawater #ColoradoRiver #water

Our 2025 California Water Leaders cohort gathered at our Sacramento office today to begin working on their project for the year -- examining how California's water rights system can be modernized for 21st century challenges. A big THANK YOU to Todd Schram, Senior Water Resources Engineer with Sonoma Water, who Zoomed in to provide an overview of the voluntary Russian River water-sharing program as well as developments in the Russian River watershed. Thanks also to Water Leader alums Joel Metzger and Stephanie Estabrook for providing advice and tips to this year's cohort.  #cawater #water #waterrights #RussianRiver

Don’t miss your chance to see Lake Kaweah firsthand on our once-a-year Central Valley Tour April 23-25. We’ll stand on top of Terminus Dam where the federal government released water in late January. You’ll have an opportunity to engage directly with #SanJoaquinValley #cawater users who rely on the reservoir’s supply in the summer. Get your ticket soon as the bus is nearing capacity! Find more info and registration details here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ggy6tRsH

In honor of National Engineers Week, Feb. 16-22, we’re making Hoover Dam our Water Word of the Week. When it was completed in 1936 with its towering concrete face and art deco flourishes, Hoover Dam was considered an engineering marvel. Hoover Dam impounds water from the Colorado River in Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir. It is one of the nation’s tallest dams and largest hydroelectric facilities, capable of generating enough electricity (4 billion kilowatt hours) annually to power about 1.4 million homes. Learn more about Hoover Dam -- and other essential water topics -- at Aquapedia, our free online water encyclopedia. https://lnkd.in/eXZMBAtJ

In the latest Western Water article by our journalism team, we explore the potential impact from the unprecedented discovery of invasive golden mussels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the larger challenges these and other unwanted mussels pose for water agencies across the West. Golden mussels had never been found in North America until their discovery last fall in the Delta, from which California's two largest water projects draw water for export to the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area and as far south as San Diego. For Southern California water agencies already contending with another invasive mussel, the quagga, this latest discovery is yet another potential headache. Read the full story in Western Water: https://lnkd.in/gi7SHaGa

Our Water Word of the Week is * Flooding and Flood Management *. During heavy rains and atmospheric rivers that barrel through California, such as the storms that hit the state last week, large rivers as well as smaller streams and creeks can become dangerous. In fact, most of the state is vulnerable to flooding. Areas adjacent to rivers are prone to flooding as are lowland coastal regions. And, parts of Southern California often experience flash floods. As impacts of climate change become more apparent, flood management is increasingly critical in California, particularly when heavy winter rains fall. Learn more about Flooding and Flood Management and other key water topics at Aquapedia, our water encyclopedia https://lnkd.in/ggZHdXX