Our June 11 webinar on “History Matters” is now available for viewing! This fourth installment of our What Matters webinar series featured a candid conversation with California water policy expert Tim Quinn. Now affiliated with Stanford University, the retired executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies and former Metropolitan Water District deputy general manager draws upon his decades-long, notable career working on California water’s most vexing problems and highlights how the lessons of yesterday can inform the solutions of tomorrow.
Nearly 170 people logged on live for our History Matters webinar. Interested in learning more about collaborative processes and how these might help solve California’s water challenges, especially in the Delta? Here are some recommended readings:
- View Tim Quinn’s presentation slides from the June 11 webinar
- Forty Years of California Water Policy by Tim Quinn. Stanford University Water in the West Reports and Working Papers, 2019.
- What’s at the heart of California’s water wars? Delta outflow explained, May 28, 2020, CalMatters commentary piece written by Jeffrey Mount and Greg Gartrell of the Public Policy Institute of California
- Embracing Watershed Politics by Edella Schlager and William Blomquist. University Press of Colorado, 2008.
- Dividing the Waters: Governing Groundwater in Southern California by William Blomquist. Center for Self Governance, 1992.
We got terrific feedback from our participants as well. Here’s a sample:
“We need to be reminded of our roots in the history of water or it will be forgotten. I try to always remind the young men and women that this is the best field to get into. Everyone needs water. –Brian Bowcock, Director, Three Valleys Municipal Water District“Thoughtful reflections based on 40 years of experience. Tim provides a great punch list for success through collaboration.” –Rodney T. Smith, President, Stratecon, Inc.
- Calleguas Municipal Water District
- County of San Bernardino
- Inland Empire Utilities Agency
- Irvine Ranch Water District
- Los Angeles County Public Works
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
- West Basin Municipal Water District
The What Matters webinars are an example of how SCWC pursues its responsibility to be the knowledgeable voice for Southern California on water issues. Looking beyond the coronavirus health emergency, the SCWC looks forward to in-person events as well as online events to further discussions to solve the state’s water problems.