ACWA Region Events: Your Ticket to Explore, Learn and Connect by Dave Eggerton Jun 24, 2022 Voices on Water A recent tour of Lake Shasta marked a rewarding, insightful and highly informative return to in- person ACWA Region events. But most of all, the experience exemplified the simple truth that seeing something up close enables understanding it in depth. In this case, that something was the drought’s impact on Shasta Reservoir and some Northern California member agencies. Hosted by ACWA Region 2 and Region 4, the daylong event offered a fascinating look into Shasta’s past and how Sites Reservoir can function in achieving a more climate resilient future. You can read more about the event on page 10. ACWA is developing a strong line-up of more Region events. These will offer abundant opportunities for elected officials and staff at member agencies to learn more about California water issues from their colleagues throughout the state. We all know that our state’s water issues and its vast water management system interconnect at nearly every level. Think of ACWA Region events as a dial that can help bring that bigger picture into sharper focus. Events also feature updates on the latest developments on projects, advocacy and association news. In that respect, you can also think of Region Events as ACWA conferences in miniature – and that includes simply having fun catching up with fellow water professionals. Learning about their challenges and strategies for success can inform your job as a water agency leader in your home community. Region events offer great opportunities to venture outside of your region and experience how your colleagues in other parts of California contend with different challenges, demands and conditions. If you were lucky enough to make it to Temecula on June 24 for the Region 9 event, you would have learned about the unique challenges and opportunities within the Inland Empire while enjoying the views from Wilson Creek Winery. But there is much more to come. Registration is now open for Region events through August. On July 7-8, the Region 1 event, co-hosted by the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, will include a harbor cruise and tour of a fish farm project, in addition to updates and event discussions on North Coast innovations. Next up, the Region 10 event will be held Aug. 2 at Olivenhain Municipal Water District in Encinitas. It will include conversations about the Colorado River and managing today’s challenges while planning for long-term water resiliency. On Aug. 12, you can join Region 8 at the Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena for lunch, a keynote address, and panel discussion on important issues for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. I also encourage you to save the dates for the following events, currently being planned through collaboration between ACWA staff and leadership within four more ACWA Regions: Oct. 7, Region 5, Monterey County Oct. 13-14, Region 6 and Region 7, Visalia Oct. 20, Region 3, Murphys Keep an eye on www.acwa.com/events for more details. If you miss our traditional pre-pandemic events, or especially if you’ve never experienced an ACWA Region event, 2022 is your year.
