Event Date
2026 5th Annual Symposium - Southwest Groundwater and Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Location: Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union (RSU)
Date: Tuesday January 27th - Thursday, January 29th
Theme: Groundwater recharge and demand management
Emcee: Jennifer Smith, CA Climate Hub
Registration link: 2026 SW Groundwater and SAS Symposium Google Form
Registration QR:
Agenda
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
03:30 - 05:00 PM Project team meeting at The Old Spaghetti Factory
05:00 - 09:00 PM Social dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
07:00 - 08:30 AM Breakfast & Networking
07:30 - 08:30 AM Advisory board meeting (Room 206)
07:00 - 08:30 AM Check-in / Registration
08:30 - 08:45 AM Review of the project’s accomplishments
08:45 - 09:00 AM Welcome message from JCAST Dean, Rolston St Hilaire
09:00 - 10:00 AM Keynote – Karen Ross, California Secretary of Agriculture
10:00 - 11:00 PM Panel 1 – Groundwater Recharge
- Laura Ramos, Director, California Water Institute
- Kassy Chauhan, North King’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency
- Don Cameron, Terra Nova Ranch
- Matthew Hacker, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
11:00 - 11:15 AM Break
11:15 - 12:00 PM Presentation 2 – California Groundwater Issues Update
Paul Gosselin, Deputy Director for Sustainable Water Management,
California Dept. of Water Resources
12:00 - 01:00 PM Lunch & Lunch Speaker – Water Policy Center Research Agenda
Letitia Grenier, PPIC, WPC
01:15 - 02:00 AM Presentation 3 – The Southwestern Salinity Management Experience
Scott Reinert, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water Utilities;
President, Multi-State Salinity Coalition
02:00 - 02:45 PM Panel 2 – Saline Water Treatment Processes,
- Karl Longley, Fresno State
- David Sedlak, UC Berkeley
- Pei Xu, New Mexico State Univ
- Adam Laputz, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
02:45 - 03:00 PM Break 2
03:00 - 03:45 PM Presentation 4 – Groundwater Markets,
Ellen Bruno, Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension, UC Berkeley
03:45 – 04:30 PM Presentation 5 – Colorado River Issues, Impact on Groundwater Management (via Zoom)
Paul Orme, Of Counsel, Salmon, Lewis & Weldon, P.L.C.
04:30 - 05:00 PM Closing remarks – Isaya Kisekka,
Professor and Director of UC Davis Agricultural Water Center
05:00 - 06:00 PM Wine Tasting
06:00 - 08:00 PM Dinner & Poster session
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Link to route map: SW Groundwater CAP - 2026 Symposium Tour
- Woolf Farms California Valley Land Company
- Groundwater recharge
- Agave
- Demand management
- Terra Nova: Terranova Ranch Inc
- Tour topics/focus: on-farm recharge
- Leaky Acres: Leaky Acres Recharge Facility - Wikipedia
- Tour topics/focus: groundwater recharge
Tour Schedule
08:00 AM Depart RSU
08:00 - 09:00 AM Travel to Woolf Farms
09:15 - 10:45 AM Woolf Farms Tour,
Potential speaker topics:
- Demand management
- Novel demand management practices (Agave production)
- Groundwater recharge at Arroyo Pasajero
11:00 - 11:20 AM Travel to Terra Nova Ranch
11:30 - 12:00 PM Lunch at Terra Nova Ranch
12:15 - 01:15 PM Terra Nova Ranch Tour, Patrick Pinkard,
Potential speaker topics:
- SGMA update
- Groundwater recharge methods (farmland & well injection)
- Flood water diversion structure
01:15 - 02:00 PM Travel to Leaky Acres
02:15 - 03:00 PM Leaky Acres Tour, Victor Ruedas, Production/Recharge supervisor
Potential speaker topics:
- History
- Facilities
- Management challenges (esp. sediment plugging)
03:00 - 03:05 PM Travel to Fresno airport
03:10 PM Arrive at Fresno airport
03:15 - 03:25 PM Travel to RSU
03:30 PM Tour ends
Housing Information
There are three chain hotels close to campus:
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clovis-Fresno Area by IHG signed contract waiting for link
- Rate: $ 139.00 + 14.2% (taxes). Parking, Wi-Fi, and breakfast are included in the rate.
- Booking Link
- TownePlace Suites Fresno Clovis
- Rate: $130
- Booking Link
- Hilton Garden Inn Clovis Sister company to Holiday Inn. Waiting for link
- Rates: USD 149.00
- Booking Link
Additional information is available at the Fresno State Hotel Website