Upcoming Workshops
More events to be announced! Check back soon.
Previous Workshops
Water UCI has sponsored a number of decision-maker and stakeholder workshops devoted to issues of vital importance to the water management. These include meetings of various sizes to address the challenges facing the water-energy nexus; California’s recent drought; and, state-level groundwater policy reform and practical lessons from international experiences. These gatherings share three characteristics in common.
First, they are made possible through generous support from external partners (e.g., the U.S. Department of Energy, American Geophysical Union, California and local water agencies, and the Office of the UC system president). Second, they result in various publications to ensure that their outcomes are shared with broad audiences. And third, they feature thought-leaders from academia, government, the private sector, and not-for profit entities– affirming Water UCI’s commitment to engaging relevant stakeholders in conversations on water, now and for years to come.
California Water Management Research Needs Virtual Workshop
May 27, 2022 – To enable water security for all Californians, we must adapt and retool our water management system to meet these challenges. As Governor Newsom has explained:
“California’s water challenges are daunting, from severely depleted groundwater basins to vulnerable infrastructure to unsafe drinking water in far too many communities. Climate change magnifies the risks. To meet these challenges, we need to harness the best in science, engineering and innovation to prepare for what’s ahead and ensure long-term water resilience and ecosystem health. We’ll need an all-of-the-above approach to get there.”
Our imperative is to consider future generations and pursue actions to adapt to a changing climate in a way that supports people, the economy, and the environment.
2021 California-EU-Australia Workshop
November, 2021 – A California-European Union-Australia Workshop on SGMA Implementation, Economic Issues, Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Comparison and Lessons Learned from European Union and Australia.
Although the adoption of SGMA is considered as a positive development in the
management of groundwater, its implementation is not always as effective as it should be, and
gaps may exist between the law as it has been conceived and written and the reality of its
implementation. Major issues of concern are inadequate legislation with possible governance
gaps; budgetary constraints as some local government organizations may have difficulty in
accommodating SGMA technical requirements; economic aspects as significant investments in
adequate infrastructure development for groundwater management are needed, as well as
technical advice and help with building organizational expertise; public participation with a
more transparent approach and equitable water management; groundwater resilience,
especially related to climate change; and conflict resolution between stakeholders.
A workshop will be held on-line on November 8 and 9, 2021, with the objective of
checking the status of SGMA implementation and helping find practical answers to the major
issues of concern. It will gather experts from the European Union and Australia during a day and
a half to explore alternative solutions experienced in these countries and compare to the
California situation. The European Union has adopted the 2000 Water Framework Directive and
the 2006 Groundwater Directive whose implementations are facing similar problems as the
implementation of California 2014 SGMA, while Australia, facing severe drought issues, has
developed innovative methods to better managing its water resources and dealing with
overdraft and overuse of groundwater, such as conjunctive use of ground and surface water,
managed aquifer recharge, groundwater trading and banking, as well as economic instruments
for the pricing of groundwater and its value.
California-European Union Workshop
June 24-25, 2019 – The workshop was hosted by Water UCI and sponsored by the Orange County Water District, Irvine Ranch Water District, Water Replenishment District of Southern California, State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Water Resources, and USGS California Water Science Center. Click here for more information.
SOURCE – Las Vegas Valley Water District Reboots Public Outreach
Summer 2017
Capturing the Benefits of Integrated Resource Management
May 28-29, 2016 – Mapping out the potential next steps for California and the southwestern U.S. to respond to this dynamic was the primary focus of the joint University of California/Department of Energy Water-Energy Workshop, held on May 28-29, 2015 at the University of California, Irvine.
California Drought Conference
March, 2015 – The California Drought Conference, a three day event in Irvine, CA, will explore some of the latest drought research. Attendees and panelists include leading water-research scholars, water agency representatives from across the region, public officials, as well as attendees from across the nation.
UC – US DOE Water-Energy Nexus Workshop
May 28-29, 2015 – Beckman Center, UC Irvine
Recognize Anthropogenic Drought
August 15, 2015 – California’s current extreme drought must be a lesson for managing water in a warmer, more densely populated world, say Amir AghaKouchak and colleagues.