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Summer 2023 Water Academy class visiting the Olivenhain Dam and Pump Station.

Application Period Now Open for the Fall 2024 Citizens Water Academy

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Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity for emerging leaders throughout San Diego County to join the Citizens Water Academy and get an up-close understanding of our most important resource.  

Over multiple sessions participants will learn firsthand about critical water issues affecting the region and go behind the scenes with water managers, planners, and engineers to gain a deeper understanding of the Water Authority’s life-sustaining mission. 

Water Academy participants at the base of Olivenhain Dam. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority.

Water Academy participants at the base of Olivenhain Dam. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority.

Since its launch in 2015, this award-winning program has equipped nearly 800 civically engaged leaders with the water knowledge they need to make a difference in their communities and careers.  

Whether you’re a staffer or a working professional, an elected official or business leader, the information and relationships you’ll gain from the Citizens Water Academy will be impactful. Finally, graduates will have access to a robust and growing alumni network from across the region. 

The application period runs from July 25 to August 28, with the class taking place in mid-October. Citizens Water Academy participants must attend all three sessions. Applications are available on the Water Authority website through this link. 

Session Guide: 

Session 1 October 16 – Wednesday lunch hour (via Zoom): Welcome and overview by Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham.   

Session 2 October 17 – Thursday evening dinner: Presentations and activities focused on planning for a water-resilient future.   

Session 3 October 19 – Saturday half day: Breakfast and lunch, and behind-the-scenes tours of the Water Authority’s Control Room, Emergency Operations Center, and Olivenhain Dam and Pump Station. 

Meet the Man Who Painted “Good Luck Calgary, love SDCWA” on the Pipe Coming from San Diego

/in , , /by /Global Newsby Sarah Crosbie Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: Martin Coghill

Current. Credible. Calgary. That’s the focus on CONNECT with Sarah Crosbie.

San Diego County Water Authority program manager Martin Coghill: “I can only imagine how much stress is involved.”

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WaterSmart Makeover: A Low-Water ‘Mountain Glade’ In Encinitas

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Oh, the things you do when you first buy a house that make you wish you’d known better. For Melanie and Rick Cullen, it was planting three liquidambar trees in their front yard around the time they moved into their Encinitas home back in 1986.

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After Another Wet Winter, is The West Still Facing a Water Crisis?

/in , , , /by /USA Todayby Doyle Rice

Time is running out for the West’s wet season, but recent storms have done wonders for the snowpack and the drought across much of the region, especially in California.

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The Good News, Bad News On California’s Water Supplies, Drought After Record Rainfall

/in , , , /by /The Orange County Registerby Brooke Staggs

Experts say coming weeks will be critical in seeing if we’ll stay drought-free or experience climate-fueled whiplash back to dry conditions. The record-setting rain that’s pummeled Southern California over the past few days, coupled with solid water storage from last year’s wet winter, has Harvey De La Torre, head of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, offering this reassuring prediction:

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Public Event Marks Start of Work on North Shore Salton Sea Project

/in , , , /by /The Desert Review

Riverside County and Salton Sea officials held a public event Oct. 19 in North Shore to mark reaching a significant milestone in the development of the future North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project.

The event was held at the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club Community Center, 99-155 Sea View Drive. The yacht club overlooks the project’s future site along Riverside County’s northern shore of the Salton Sea.

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In Split Vote, San Diego County Supervisors Wade into Hotly Debated Water Dispute

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jeff McDonald Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County supervisors have formally weighed in on a contentious — and increasingly costly — plan by two rural water districts to break away from a regional authority they say is too expensive.

The county board voted 3-1 this week in favor of a recommendation from Supervisor Joel Anderson to support state legislation that would require approval by a majority of all voters within the regional water authority — rather than only those residents of a breakaway district.

“This process would allow water customers of all (San Diego County Water Authority) member agencies to decide what is best for our region’s water future and the potential implications of their own water bills,” the former state senator told his board colleagues.

While the letter from Anderson to his board colleagues did not specifically mention the Boerner bill, the implication was clear.

The East County supervisor said county water authority members should not be able to withdraw from a broader group of water districts through a ballot measure limited to their own constituents.

Leaving the regional authority would unfairly stick fellow districts and their ratepayers with long-term capital costs, he said.

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San Diego County Water Authority Sues Over Water Agency Exit Fees

/in /by /WaterWorld Magazine Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority announced that it has filed suit against the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), challenging LAFCO’s decision to allow two local water agencies to leave the Water Authority without paying certain fees.

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Despite Deal, Colorado River’s Long-Term Water Crisis Remains Unsolved

/in , , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James and Hayley Smith

A proposed deal for California, Arizona and Nevada to take less water from the over-tapped Colorado River depends heavily on $1.2 billion in federal funds, which will pay farmers and others who agree to give up some of their supply over the next three years.

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Opinion: Is the San Diego-Imperial Model Part of the Solution for Colorado River Woes?

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In a sense, the record string of storms that hit California created two lakes — one real and one hypothetical.

The deluges re-established Tulare Lake, once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River that was drained long ago for agriculture and municipal water demands.

Meanwhile, the state’s record snowpack, according to the Los Angeles Times, holds enough water to fill the depleted Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Of course, that’s not where the runoff goes.

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