Talking about the Localizing California Waters Conference and Water Reuse

Tomorrow is the start of the Localizing California Waters, a four day conference bringing together people who care about water reuse, water policy, and water management in California. I am a part of the group putting on the conference, the Telele Foundation, and I will be milling about doing registration and various other tasks. Hopefully I will be able to pop in and see at least one talk & maybe learn something.

Smart water management, reuse, and innovative low water solutions are a big talking points among certain crowds here in California, and with the recent drought are receiving even more attention than usual. Everyone (people, agriculture, & the environment) needs more water but the fact remains there isn’t enough to go around. It’s up to the politicians, lawyers, and interest groups to fight over who gets how much water. That is what is so empowering about Localizing California Waters – it is working around many hot button issues of who gets how much water to provide tools that everyone can use to more effectively share the little water that is available.

First November snow, spotted on the North Side of the Tuolumne Canyon

The  Telele Foundation is a local nonprofit dedicated to Central Sierra ecology, community partnerships, and events. Many of Telele’s projects connect back to our local upper watershed. Water from the Central Sierra watershed is passed down to cities and farms where most Californians live and work, where many of the people who are attending the conference live and work.

A small amount of snow that fell in the higher elevations of the Sierra on Friday. It is visible on hilltops as as I drove through the Stanislaus National Forest toward Yosemite and the conference location. It was a wonderful happy relief to see that tiny bit of snow, to be able to imagine more coming in coming weeks. I imagine conference attendees will share that feeling. After all, they know better than anyone that we are all connected to this beautiful place and shared resource.

If you are interested in learning more about the conference please visit CaliforniaWaterReuse.org.