MEDIA ADVISORY: ACWA Conference Puts Spotlight on Key Water Issues

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 27, 2011) - California's most pressing water issues will be in focus at the Association of California Water Agencies' (ACWA) 2011 Spring Conference & Exhibition, set for May 10-13 at the Sacramento Convention Center and surrounding hotels. More than 1,700 local water leaders are expected to attend the event.

Themed "Shaping a New Political Landscape," the conference programs kick off Wednesday, May 11, with an address by California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross at the opening breakfast. Ross' remarks will focus on the overlap between California water policy and agricultural policy and their impact on the state's future.

At a luncheon address that same day, California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird will shed light on the Brown administration's plans and priorities for natural resources, including water, parks, fisheries and the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).

At a Thursday, May 12, luncheon, UC Davis engineering professor Ross W. Boulanger will share lessons learned from the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan and how they can be applied to California's aging levees. Conference programs on water quality, groundwater, the BDCP and the reasonable use doctrine are also planned.

As always, a sold-out exhibit hall in the Sacramento Convention Center will showcase the latest products and services available to California water managers.

ACWA will also present its 2011 Clair A. Hill Agency Award for Excellence and 2011 Excellence in Water Leadership Award during the three-day conference.

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.