Putting Water Data to Work: Maximizing the Climate Bond’s Impact

The California Water Data Consortium invites leaders in water, policy, research, philanthropy, and community action to a critical conversation on data governance, data-driven resource management, and support for water and ecological data infrastructure in California.

With California voters approving historic investments in water, wildfire, and climate resilience through Proposition 4, the Summer Roundtable will explore how open and actionable data can drive smarter investments, climate adaptation strategies, and long-term sustainability.

Meeting Materials

Summer Roundtable 2025 – Google Drive Folder

1. Meeting Agenda
2. Climate Bond Primer
3. Topic Specific Primers and Workbooks
   • Safe and Affordable Drinking Water
   • Flood Resilience and Dam Safety
   • Multibenefit Land Repurposing and Watershed Resilience
   • Sustainable Groundwater Management and Managed Aquifer Recharge
   • Water Supply, including Water Conservation and Recycling
   • Habitat Conservation and Streamflow Enhancement
4. Speaker Profiles

Meeting Goals

• Facilitate meaningful engagement, feedback, and discussion between state and agency employees, local water managers, NGOs, community representatives, and other data users and decision-makers on water data investment opportunities related to water management and climate adaptation.
• Foster partnerships between attendees to collaborate on innovative approaches to leveraging data in support of Proposition 4 investments and beyond.
• Build enduring coalitions for ongoing investment in a sustained and modern data infrastructure for climate adaptation and other beneficial outcomes.

Meeting Agenda

Doors open at 9:00 a.m.

9:30 – 9:50 a.m.  Welcome and Framing

• Senator Bill Dodd, CA Senator for District 3, Retired and Meredith Lee, Ph.D., California Water Data Consortium Board Chair, UC Berkeley

9:50 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.  Better Data, Better Decisions: Local and Regional Tools for a Resilient Water Future

A showcase of how local leaders are using data to inform smart, adaptive decisions across key Prop. 4 investment areas—including water markets and transfers, groundwater sustainability, water conservation, conjunctive use, irrigation management, and species protection. Panelists will share real-world examples of how improved data enhances outcomes for communities and ecosystems, shapes state-level policy, and paves the way for continued innovation in an era of rapid technological change.

Panel Moderator: Eric Averett, Atlas Water

Panelists (listed alphabetically):

• Darcy Austin, State Water Contractors
• Matt Beaman, Merced Irrigation-Urban Groundwater Sustainability Agency
• Aaron Fukuda, Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency
• Sara Larsen, OpenET

10:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Facilitated Small Group Discussions to identify high-impact strategies for using and investing in water and ecological data to ensure that Prop. 4 funding delivers measurable benefits for California’s communities, environment, and the economy.

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.  Networking Lunch & Gallery Walk

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.  State-Level Insights on Leveraging Data to Optimize Climate Adaptation Investments

State agency leaders will share their vision for open data in the context of Prop. 4 and beyond—highlighting its role in informed decision-making and long-term climate resilience. The discussion will also examine how data and grant program decisions are made and explore opportunities for sustained investment.

Panel Moderator: Allison Harvey Turner, Water Foundation

Panelists (listed alphabetically): 

• Keali’i Bright, California Natural Resources Agency
• Erik Ekdahl, State Water Resources Control Board
• Paul Gosselin, Department of Water Resources
• Katie Regan, Department of Technology

2:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.  Closing Plenary

• Samantha Arthur, California Natural Resources Agency and Robyn Grimm, California Water Data Consortium

3:30 p.m.  Meeting Adjourns