Mountain Counties Water Resources Association

08/27/2026

California-United Water: Bringing California’s Water Community Together

Last week in Coronado, California-United Water brought water leaders from across the state together for two days of conversation, collaboration and relationship building as part of the Urban Water Institute Annual Water Conference.

Friday’s featured program, “Resilience Under Fire: Preparing Water Agencies for Whatever Comes Next,” opened with remarks from Adán Ortega, Jr., Board Chair of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, followed by a powerful keynote from Kevin Phillips, District Manager of Paradise Irrigation District.

Kevin shared lessons from the 2018 Camp Fire and Paradise’s ongoing recovery, offering valuable insight into emergency preparedness, leadership, infrastructure resilience and what water agencies can do today to prepare for the unexpected.

Attendees then participated in roundtable discussions on affordability, infrastructure investment, emergency resilience and regulatory challenges, facilitated by Adán Ortega, Jr.; Susan Peters of Amador Water Agency; Michael Saunders of Georgetown Divide Public Utility District; and Thomas Smegal of BAWSCA.

The program followed Thursday evening’s California-United Water Sunset Dinner Cruise, where attendees had an opportunity to build relationships across regions in a more informal setting.

🔹 A special thank you to the Mountain Counties members who helped make the program possible:

✔️ ACWA JPIA
✔️ Blackburn Consulting
✔️ Georgetown Divide Public Utility District
✔️ Calaveras County Water District
✔️ Caporusso Communications

We also thank Darcy Burke and the Urban Water Institute Board and team for their continued partnership and support.

Approximately 60% of California’s developed water supply originates in the Sierra Nevada and foothill headwaters, but the challenges facing California water don't stop at regional boundaries.

That’s what California-United Water is about: bringing together urban and rural, upstream and downstream, Northern and Southern California to learn from one another and find opportunities to work together.

There isn't a Northern California water supply and a Southern California water supply. There is a California water supply — and we all have a role in protecting it.

08/22/2026

MCWRA Regional Leaders Reception Brings Water Leaders Together in El Dorado County

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Moonraker Millhouse in Cameron Park for the MCWRA August 2026 Regional Leaders Reception!

Following our Regional Roundtable Luncheon, the reception provided an opportunity for MCWRA members, regional leaders, elected officials, and partners to connect, strengthen relationships, and continue conversations about the issues impacting California’s Mountain Counties and water community.

🔹A special thank you to our event sponsors whose support helped make the evening possible:
✔️ BENEN
✔️ Blackburn Consulting
✔️ Stratus Engineering Associates
✔️ HydroForecast by Upstream Tech

We were especially pleased to welcome HydroForecast by Upstream Tech as one of MCWRA’s newest Associate Members.

Thank you to our sponsors, members, and guests for another great evening of conversation and connection. We appreciate your continued support of MCWRA and our work throughout the Mountain Counties region.

08/21/2026

MCWRA Regional Roundtable Luncheon Brings CARB to the Mountain Counties

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the MCWRA August Regional Roundtable Luncheon for an important conversation about California’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations and their impacts on public agencies.

We appreciated representatives from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) joining us to provide an overview of the regulations, discuss recent developments, and answer questions directly from water agencies and local government leaders throughout the Mountain Counties region.

The conversation provided an important opportunity for our members to share the real-world challenges facing public agencies as they work to maintain reliable water and essential public services while navigating California’s transition to zero-emission vehicle fleets.

Thank you to our speakers, MCWRA members, regional leaders, and partners who participated in the discussion. These Regional Roundtables are designed to bring state decision-makers directly to our region for candid, productive conversations about the issues affecting our communities — and we appreciate everyone who helped make this one a success.

Details on MCWRA's position and work on Advanced Clean Fleets can be found here: https://www.mountaincountieswater.com/committees

08/21/2026

Save-the-Date & Call For Ideas for the MCWRA Fall 2026 Water Forum - https://mailchi.mp/fa137d126c18/secure-your-spot-mcwratud-regional-roundtable-and-reception-june-8572062

08/18/2026

From the Capitol to the Headwaters: Recapping MCWRA's Aerial Legislative Tour - https://mailchi.mp/60e11af7df0f/register-for-the-mcwra-fall-2023-water-forum-today-8571998

08/15/2026

08/12/2026

MCWRA 8/14 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda - https://mailchi.mp/5fa93be7d8b4/cnra-launches-california-climate-bond-grant-programs-feedback-survey-8571903

08/10/2026

A VIEW FROM ABOVE: MCWRA Hosts Aerial Legislative Tour of the Sierra Nevada

Last week, the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association (MCWRA), in partnership with EcoFlight, hosted an Aerial Legislative Tour of the Sierra Nevada, providing state policymakers and staff with a unique, firsthand look at the landscapes, infrastructure, and communities that are critical to California’s water supply. The tour highlighted the interconnected relationship between headwaters, water infrastructure, forest health, wildfire, recreation, hydropower, and downstream water supply.

The aerial perspective helped demonstrate a message at the heart of MCWRA’s advocacy: what happens in California’s headwaters has implications far beyond the Sierra Nevada. Healthy forests and watersheds, resilient infrastructure, and strong rural communities are essential to protecting the water supply and natural resources relied upon by millions of Californians.

The tour also provided an opportunity for candid conversations about the unique challenges facing water agencies and communities throughout the Sierra Nevada. Participants discussed the significant investments needed to repair and replace aging water infrastructure, much of which serves small and geographically dispersed populations. Conversations also focused on water affordability and the difficulty of funding major infrastructure improvements while keeping rates affordable for customers, as well as the operational and financial challenges associated with California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulations, particularly for rural and mountain water agencies that depend on specialized heavy-duty vehicles, operate across large and rugged service territories, and may lack the charging infrastructure and commercially available zero-emission equipment necessary to meet their operational needs.

These issues — coupled with wildfire risk, forest and watershed health, emergency preparedness, regulatory requirements, workforce needs, and the realities of operating in rural and frontier communities — underscore why policies designed for California must account for the very different conditions faced by agencies in the state’s headwaters.

🔹Special Thanks to Our MCWRA Aerial Tour Guides
MCWRA extends a special thank you to the water and local government leaders who served as Aerial Tour Guides, sharing their firsthand knowledge and providing important context throughout the flights:

1️⃣ El Dorado County Supervisor Lori Parlin, MCWRA Director
2️⃣ Georgetown Divide Public Utility District Director Michael Saunders, MCWRA Director
3️⃣ Tuolumne Utilities District Director Ron Ringen, MCWRA Director
4️⃣ El Dorado Water Agency General Manager Rebecca Guo

MCWRA also extends its sincere appreciation to EcoFlight for its partnership and to the elected officials, legislative staff, agency representatives, water leaders, and regional partners who participated in the tour.

08/06/2026

ADVOCATING FOR CALIFORNIA'S HEADWATERS: PCWA Hosts Meeting with Congressman Ami Bera

MCWRA thanks Placer County Water Agency Board Chair Josh Alpine for the invitation to participate in a regional meeting with Congressman Ami Bera earlier this week.

MCWRA Executive Director Justin Caporusso appreciated the opportunity to be in the room as regional leaders discussed the critical role Sierra Nevada watersheds play in providing clean, reliable water, the need for continued investment in resilient water infrastructure, and the importance of strong federal partnerships to support forest health, wildfire resilience, and long-term water reliability.

These conversations are essential to ensuring the voices of mountain water agencies are represented as policies and investments are considered at the federal level.

08/06/2026

WELCOME NEW MCWRA ASSOCIATE MEMBER: HydroForecast by Upstream Tech

We're excited to welcome HydroForecast by Upstream Tech as the newest Associate Member of the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association!

HydroForecast is helping water managers make smarter, more informed decisions through advanced streamflow and reservoir forecasting powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time environmental data. As California continues to navigate increasingly complex water management challenges, innovative technologies like these are becoming more important than ever.

We're proud to have HydroForecast join MCWRA's growing network of water agencies, counties, and industry partners working together to strengthen the resilience, reliability, and long-term sustainability of California's Sierra Nevada watersheds.

Please join us in welcoming HydroForecast by Upstream Tech to the MCWRA community!