10 Years In: A SGMA Report Card

King Hall, Room 1001

 

** Registration for this event has reached capacity and is now closed. If space becomes available, we will post that information here.

This day-long conference will assess the status and effectiveness of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a decade after the state Legislature passed and former Governor Jerry Brown signed this groundbreaking legislation into law. The conference will consider how effectively SGMA has been implemented to date; several key SGMA case studies from around the state; and what changes to SGMA may be warranted in the future.

This conference will feature a morning plenary address by Karla Nemeth, Director of California's Department of Water Resources; an afternoon plenary address will be delivered by award-winning author Mark Arax (The King of California; The Dreamt Land). The conference will also provide an optional, introductory briefing on SGMA and California groundwater law, and four panels featuring a diverse set of panelists and SGMA-related topics.

Agenda:

8 - 8:50 a.m. — Introduction to California Groundwater Law & SGMA

  • Professor Jennifer Harder, McGeorge School of Law

9 - 9:20 a.m. — Opening Remarks

  • Dean Jessica Berg, UC Davis Law School & Professor Richard Frank

9:20 - 10 a.m. — Morning Keynote

  • Karla Nemeth, Director, California Department of Water Resources (DWR)

10 - 11 a.m. — Panel 1, Groundwater Sustainability Agency Formation Report Card 

  • Moderator: Professor Karrigan Börk, UC Davis School of Law
  • Aaron Fukuda, General Manager, Tulare Irrigation District, and Interim General Manager, Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MKGSA) 
  • Dr. Nataly Escobedo Garcia, Policy Coordinator, Leadership Counsel 
  • Tien Tran, Senior Policy Advocate, Community Water Center

11 - 11:15 a.m. — Break

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. — Panel 2, Groundwater Sustainability Plan Development & Implementation Report Card

  • Moderator: Professor David Sandino, UC Davis School of Law
  • Kristen Sicke, General Manager, Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; Executive Officer, Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency
  • Judith Redmond, Founder, Full Belly Farm
  • Harsharon Sekhorn, Attorney, DWR
  • Sandi Matsumoto, Director, The Nature Conservancy’s California Water Program

12:30 - 1 p.m. — Lunch

1 - 1:45 p.m. — Luncheon Address

1:45 - 3:15 p.m. — Panel 3, Key SGMA Case Studies

  • Moderator: Professor Robert Mullaney, UC Davis School of Law
  • Daniel Cooper, Founding Partner of Sycamore Law, Inc.
  • Lynn Carlisle, Executive Director, Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center
  • W. Keith Lemieux, Jr., Equity Partner, Aleshire & Wynder
  • Anecita Agustinez, Executive Manager, Office of Tribal Affairs for DWR

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. — Break

3:30 - 4:45 p.m. — Panel 4, How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going? SGMA and the Future of Groundwater Management in California

  • Moderator: Tina Cannon Leahy, Attorney Supervisor, State Water Board
  • Alex Biering, Senior Policy Advocate, California Farm Bureau Federation
  • Sam Boland-Brien, Director, State Water Board Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management 
  • Soren Nelson, State Relations Advocate, Association of California Water Agencies

4:45 - 5 p.m. — Closing Remarks

  • Professor Richard Frank, UC Davis School of Law

5 - 6 p.m. — Hosted Happy Hour, UC Davis School of Law Courtyard

Please contact Rick Frank with any questions. 

Event Category

California Environmental Law & Policy Center