Water Education Foundation

Water Education Foundation The Water Education Foundation is your impartial resource on water issues in California and the Southwest.

Invasive species – including golden mussels and nutria – are detrimental to native plants, animals, ecosystems and water...
06/01/2026

Invasive species – including golden mussels and nutria – are detrimental to native plants, animals, ecosystems and water infrastructure across the West. More recently, agencies in California have been focused on containing the spread of golden mussels in the state’s waterways. California Invasive Species Action Week, June 6-14, is designed to boost public awareness and promote public participation year-round in invasive species management, including volunteering for projects to remove invasive plants along waterways. So, we’re making invasive species our Water Word of the Week. You can learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/invasive-species

Invasive species, also known as exotics, are plants, animals, insects and aquatic species introduced into non-native ...

Dams have allowed Californians and others across the West to harness and control water dating back to the late 1800s. To...
05/26/2026

Dams have allowed Californians and others across the West to harness and control water dating back to the late 1800s. Today, California and neighboring states are home to a vast integrated system of federal, state and locally owned dams that help with flood management, water storage and water transport. This system has helped spark economic activity in arid or semi-arid areas of California, including the agriculturally rich Central Valley and urban Southern California. Still, a greater awareness about ecosystems has generated efforts to lessen some of the impacts caused by damming rivers. With National Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31, we’re making dams our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/dams

Dams have allowed Californians and others across the West to harness and control water dating back to the late 1800s.

Large numbers of salmon are returning from the ocean to California’s rivers and streams, boosted by ample freshwater flo...
05/18/2026

Large numbers of salmon are returning from the ocean to California’s rivers and streams, boosted by ample freshwater flows from previous years and by growing efforts to restore their habitat. After being closed since 2022, the state’s coastal waters recently opened to limited commercial salmon fishing. Anadromous fish, which in California include coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead, are freshwater fish that migrate to sea and then return to the Sacramento River and other major rivers and tributaries to spawn. The chinook are important because they support commercial fishing and related jobs and economic activities at fish hatcheries. With World Fish Migration Day on Saturday, May 23, we’re making anadromous fish our Water Word of the Week. You can learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/anadromous-fish-restoration

Anadromous fish are freshwater fish that migrate to sea and then return to spawn in fresh water. In California, ...

Amphibians Week, May 3-9, is celebrated each year to increase awareness about amphibians and their watery habitats. The ...
05/04/2026

Amphibians Week, May 3-9, is celebrated each year to increase awareness about amphibians and their watery habitats. The California tiger salamander, found in the Central Valley and along the coast, and the black toad, endemic to Deep Springs Valley east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, are among the amphibian species listed as endangered or threatened under the state’s Endangered Species Act. California was the first in the nation to protect fish, flora and fauna with the enactment of the ESA in 1970. With Amphibians Week underway, we’re making the Endangered Species Act – California our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/california-endangered-species-act

California was the first state in the nation to protect fish, flora and fauna with the enactment of the California ...

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking water quality in the United States. Enacted in 1974 and ...
04/27/2026

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking water quality in the United States. Enacted in 1974 and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the act oversees states, communities and water suppliers who implement drinking water standards at the local level. The requirements are designed to thwart potential drinking water hazards, including pesticides and other contaminants. The act’s regulations apply to every U.S. public water system – over 148,000 – but do not include private wells serving less than 25 people. With Drinking Water Week May 3-9, we’re making Safe Drinking Water Act our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/safe-drinking-water-act

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking water quality in the United States. Launched in 1974 and ...

This Wednesday is Earth Day and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Our Power, Our Planet,” emphasizing progress m...
04/20/2026

This Wednesday is Earth Day and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Our Power, Our Planet,” emphasizing progress made by those protecting natural resources. An important theme in sustaining public resources in California is the public trust doctrine. Rooted in Roman law, the doctrine requires the state to hold in trust designated resources, including water, for the benefit of the people. For more background, we’re making the public trust doctrine our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/public-trust-doctrine

Rooted in Roman law, the public trust doctrine recognizes the public right to many natural resources including “the air, ...

At the confluence of the San Joaquin River and the Fresno Slough in California’s San Joaquin Valley, the Mendota Pool pl...
04/13/2026

At the confluence of the San Joaquin River and the Fresno Slough in California’s San Joaquin Valley, the Mendota Pool plays a pivotal role for the federal Central Valley Project. The Bureau of Reclamation agreed to deliver Sacramento River water via the 117-mile-long Delta-Mendota Canal to the Mendota Pool. The water then is released into the San Joaquin River, replacing flows diverted upstream for farms and cities. With Mendota Pool a stop on our Central Valley Tour April 22-24, we’re making Mendota Pool our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/mendota-pool

The Mendota Pool, located at the confluence of the San Joaquin River and the Fresno Slough in California’s San Joaquin ...

A record-shattering heatwave earlier this month accelerated snowmelt across much of the West, making drought conditions ...
03/31/2026

A record-shattering heatwave earlier this month accelerated snowmelt across much of the West, making drought conditions even worse. Water restrictions are already in effect in large cities like Denver. In California, the recent heatwave left the snowpack at 38 percent of average around mid-March. The state’s Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners Collaborative will hold a drought indicators and metrics workshop April 1. As water managers across the West weigh water restrictions, we’re making drought our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/drought

Drought—an extended period of limited or no precipitation—is a fact of life in California and the West, with water resources ...

Disadvantaged communities generally carry the greatest economic, health and environmental burdens. In California, an est...
03/23/2026

Disadvantaged communities generally carry the greatest economic, health and environmental burdens. In California, an estimated 600,000 people lack access to safe and affordable drinking water. Globally, about 2.2 billion people are without safely managed drinking water services. The United Nations points out that “the global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally” and for World Water Day which was Sunday, the United Nations emphasized the disproportionate impact on women and girls. Thus, we’re making disadvantaged communities our Water Word of the Week. Learn more about this and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia-background/disadvantaged-communities

Disadvantaged communities are those carrying the greatest economic, health and environmental burdens. They include poverty, ...

Most watersheds begin high up in forested mountains, which play a key role in water quality and supply. Snowmelt and rai...
03/16/2026

Most watersheds begin high up in forested mountains, which play a key role in water quality and supply. Snowmelt and rain drain into a network of lakes, streams, rivers and other waterways through watersheds. Watersheds follow natural boundaries, usually separated by ridges, canyons or mountains, and have many important functions, including collecting water from precipitation, storing groundwater in aquifers, releasing water as runoff and providing habitat for plants and animals. March 21 is the International Day of Forests. To highlight the importance of forests in watersheds, we’re making watershed our Water Word of the Week. You can learn more about key watersheds in California and other water-related topics in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia.

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/watershed

A watershed is the land area that drains snowmelt and rain into a network of lakes, streams, rivers and other waterways. It ...

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