The Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards recognize organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals whose programs and leadership advance water conservation and reuse in Silicon Valley. San Mateo RCD is the honored government agency for 2017! We are in good company with other amazing awardees.
Business: Oracle
Government Agency: San Mateo Resource Conservation District
Organization: Ecology Action
Greenscape Management: Stanford University’s Residential & Dining Enterprises
Innovation: Ouroboros Farms
Education: Frank Jahn
Water Champion: former State Assemblymember Rich Gordon
The RCD is being honored for our work collaborating with private and public land owners, agricultural producers, public agencies and interest groups in San Mateo County to conserve water, protect water quality, restore wildlife habitat, sustain agriculture and mitigate climate change. Water availability is one of the most significant forces shaping the future of the San Mateo coast, especially along the south coast, which has no water utility, no irrigation district, no large-scale water storage and no interties to the State and Federal water projects. During the drought, farmers were forced to fallow fields, ranchers sold undersized cattle due to lack of forage, and endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead trout risked extinction as creeks dried up. The RCD responded by facilitating a Drought Relief Program aimed at helping farmers conserve, manage and store water so that more could remain in local creeks for threatened and endangered species. Key partners have been Trout Unlimited, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and American Rivers.
Water storage is an important aspect of the program because it enables water users to pump and store water during wetter months for use during drier months, reducing or eliminating withdrawals during the dry season. Farms are not eligible for water storage assistance until they’ve maximized water use efficiency. Improvements will result in 30 million gallons of new storage and 46 million gallons of annual water savings.
The RCD also partnered with six cemeteries and the Town of Colma to audit irrigation systems and identify opportunities to improve efficiency. When implemented, depending on funding, these improvements could save 53 million gallons of water per year.
Join us at the Awards Ceremony on March 22 (World Water Day).
Wednesday, March 22
11am-noon — Lunch
Noon-1:30pm — Award presentations
Keynote Speaker — Brock Dolman
Cubberley Community Center Theatre
4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Registration — https://waterawards2017.brownpapertickets.com
This is a free event, but you must register in advance.
About the Water Conservation Awards Coalition
The Coalition coordinating the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards includes: Acterra, Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency, City of Palo Alto Utilities, City of San Jose Environmental Services, GreenTown Los Altos, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, ManageWater Consulting, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sustainable San Mateo County, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Tuolumne River Trust and Waterfluence.