Water Education Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Water Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide unbiased, balanced information on water issues in California
and the Southwestern United States
.
The Foundation's mission for over 30 years has been "to create a better understanding of water resources and foster public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach."
Located in Sacramento
, California, the Foundation offers publications, public television documentaries, briefings and conferences and school programs to help educate the public on a variety of water issues. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of 30 members representing water, education, business, environmental and public interest communities in California. The board of directors meets quarterly.
award for the 2008 public television documentary, Salt of the Earth: Salinity in California’s Central Valley hosted by comedian Paul Rodriguez
. This program discusses the growing problem of salt buildup in the Central Valley and discusses potential solutions. Two other documentaries, Fate of the Jewel (2001), which discusses Lake Tahoe
pollution, and High Stakes at the Salton Sea
(2002), which discusses efforts to restore the Salton Sea and is narrated by actor Val Kilmer
, also received regional Emmy awards.
, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, groundwater
, and endangered species
.
In 2000, the Foundation released a book, Water and the Shaping of California, written by Program Director Sue McClurg. With a foreword written by historian Kevin Starr
, the book features historical photos of water while the text discusses the way water has influenced the development of the state’s cities and farms. The book includes well-known quotations and excerpts from literature about water.
Each year the Foundation organizes conferences and briefings that focus on current water issues and include prominent speakers from the water community. Events in 2009 included a U.S.–Mexico Binational Drought Science conference with the California Department of Water Resources
. Events in 2010 have included an International Groundwater Conference, organized with the University of California, Davis
, with speakers from organizations including U.S. Geological Survey, International Water Management Institute
and the California Farm Bureau. In August 2010 the Foundation was one of several nonpartisan groups (including the California Center for the Book and the California State Library
) that participated in 'Water Conversations' held in the Sacramento Delta area by the University of California
Cooperative Extension Service
.
, flood
management, groundwater
and water conservation. Tours include the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta, the Lower Colorado River, California's Central Valley and the San Joaquin River.
(Water Education for Teachers), an award-winning, nonprofit water education program and publisher. The program facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs.
The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor for a documentary film project which examines the life of former California governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. The film focuses in part on his quest to build the California Aqueduct
and his fight against the death penalty.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
.
The Foundation's mission for over 30 years has been "to create a better understanding of water resources and foster public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach."
Located in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California, the Foundation offers publications, public television documentaries, briefings and conferences and school programs to help educate the public on a variety of water issues. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of 30 members representing water, education, business, environmental and public interest communities in California. The board of directors meets quarterly.
Public television documentaries
In 2009 the Foundation won a regional EmmyEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
award for the 2008 public television documentary, Salt of the Earth: Salinity in California’s Central Valley hosted by comedian Paul Rodriguez
Paul Rodríguez
Paul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
. This program discusses the growing problem of salt buildup in the Central Valley and discusses potential solutions. Two other documentaries, Fate of the Jewel (2001), which discusses Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
pollution, and High Stakes at the Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
(2002), which discusses efforts to restore the Salton Sea and is narrated by actor Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
, also received regional Emmy awards.
Publications, briefings and conferences
The flagship of the Foundation is Western Water, a bimonthly magazine through which readers learn about topics such as California water supply, water quality, the Colorado RiverColorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
, and endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
In 2000, the Foundation released a book, Water and the Shaping of California, written by Program Director Sue McClurg. With a foreword written by historian Kevin Starr
Kevin Starr
Kevin Starr is an American historian, best known for his multi-volume series on the history of California, collectively called "Americans and the California Dream."-Life:Kevin Starr was born in San Francisco, California....
, the book features historical photos of water while the text discusses the way water has influenced the development of the state’s cities and farms. The book includes well-known quotations and excerpts from literature about water.
Each year the Foundation organizes conferences and briefings that focus on current water issues and include prominent speakers from the water community. Events in 2009 included a U.S.–Mexico Binational Drought Science conference with the California Department of Water Resources
California Department of Water Resources
The California Department of Water Resources , is a department within the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage...
. Events in 2010 have included an International Groundwater Conference, organized with the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, with speakers from organizations including U.S. Geological Survey, International Water Management Institute
International Water Management Institute
The International Water Management Institute is a non-profit research organisation with headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and offices across Africa and Asia...
and the California Farm Bureau. In August 2010 the Foundation was one of several nonpartisan groups (including the California Center for the Book and the California State Library
California State Library
The California State Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. It was founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. Today, it is the central reference and research library for state government and the Legislature. The California State Library...
) that participated in 'Water Conversations' held in the Sacramento Delta area by the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
Cooperative Extension Service
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
.
Water tours
Each year the Foundation offers tours that allow participants to visit various water facilities, rivers and regions in California and the Southwest for educational purposes. Speakers representing water districts, agricultural and environmental interests discuss topics including water supply, water quality, environmental restorationEnvironmental restoration
Environmental restoration is a term common in the citizens’ environmental movement. Environmental restoration is closely allied with ecological restoration or environmental remediation...
, flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
management, groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
and water conservation. Tours include the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta, the Lower Colorado River, California's Central Valley and the San Joaquin River.
Project WET
The Foundation is the California Coordinator for Project WETEnvironmental adult education
Environmental Adult Education is recognized as a “hybrid outgrowth of the environmental movement and adult education, combining an ecological orientation with a learning paradigm to provide a vigorous educational approach to environmental concerns” .In laymen’s terms, environmental adult education...
(Water Education for Teachers), an award-winning, nonprofit water education program and publisher. The program facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and the establishment of internationally sponsored Project WET programs.
Aquafornia
In 2008, the Foundation began a partnership with Aquafornia, a web site that posts daily news updates on water issues. These updates are taken from a variety of sources including mainstream newspapers and magazines, other water blogs, press releases, trade journals and other non-traditional news sources.Funding sources
The Foundation’s general activities were supported by contributions, sales of public educational materials, tours and briefings. A variety of grants from government agencies, private foundations and other organizations funded some of the Foundation’s special programs, publications and projects in 2009.Projects
In 2009 the Foundation assisted the reading promotion agency California Center for the Book with developing resources to help public libraries host programming about water. The project is continuing through 2010 and is offered to all 181 library districts in the state.The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor for a documentary film project which examines the life of former California governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. The film focuses in part on his quest to build the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
and his fight against the death penalty.