Tastes Great...Less Filling: The Sacramento Area Response to California’s Historic Drought
When: Friday, October 2, 2015, 12 pm
Where: Sacramento State, 6000 J Street | Kadema Hall, Room 145
Topic: Tastes Great...Less Filling:The Sacramento Area Response to California’s
Historic Drought
Speaker: John Woodling, Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority
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This seminar series is open to the public. Food will be provided for the first
20–25 people to arrive.
Topic Overview
California’s ongoing drought, and the legislative and regulatory response to it, has created numerous challenges to Sacramento area water managers. Historically low Sierra snowpack, declining groundwater levels, Central Valley project facilities that are stretched to the limit, and the evidence of a changing climate are the hydrologic realities we currently face.
The combined challenges of mandatory emergency water rationing by the State, water rights curtailments, the delicate balance between water for people and the environment, the most significant water legislation passed in a century, and declining water agency revenues have fundamentally changed the landscape of water management in California. In response to these challenges and an increasingly uncertain future, water providers in the region are responding to both sides of the water equation—reducing water demand and increasing the resiliency of supplies—to ensure that our water supplies continue to provide the foundation for a healthy environment, a vibrant economy, and the quality of life afforded by our region.
About the Speaker
John Woodling is the Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority (RWA), a coalition of 26 water purveyors and associated agencies in the greater Sacramento area. RWA was created to pursue collaborative approaches to improving the reliability, affordability, and quality of water for the region. He also leads the Sacramento Groundwater Authority, responsible for sustainably managing the groundwater basin in northern Sacramento county.
With over 30 years in water resources management, Mr. Woodling has provided innovative leadership at local, state, and federal levels. Mr. Woodling previously worked at the California Department of Water Resources, managing groundwater programs and directing development of the State’s Integrated Regional Water Management Program. He is a licensed professional geologist, certified engineering geologist, and certified hydrogeologist in California, and holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and a master’s in hydrogeology.
