Parting Message from Director Kathryn Barr

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As many of you already know, I will be retiring from the Orange County Water District after 35 years of service.

It has been an exciting experience and a continual learning process. I have witnessed many highs and some lows, but the memories I will most fondly take away are the wonderful relationships I have made and the District's many firsts and innovations that have taken place during my tenure. Read More…

Governor Brown Visits OCWD

From left to right: OCWD Directors Philip Anthony, Vincent Sarmiento,
Cathy Green, Shawn Dewane, Governor Jerry Brown, Directors Steve
Sheldon and Denis Bilodeau

Governor Jerry Brown paid a visit to OCWD on Oct. 28. Dignitaries of both parties from all over Southern California, including Senate Pro Tempore Kevin de León and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, came to hear him speak about Proposition 1. Nearly 350 guests attended.

The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Act of 2014 (Proposition 1; Water Bond) was approved by voters on November 4 and will allocate $7.54 billion towards statewide water projects and programs as part of a comprehensive water plan for the state of California. Read More…

OCWD Recognized for Regional Leadership

The Orange County Water District, City of Anaheim, the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), and Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD) received a California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO) Government Leadership Award at the annual CALAFCO conference held on Oct. 16 in Ontario, Calif.

The four agencies were selected for this award because they manifested characteristics of effective leadership, not just in the past year through the successful completion of a major annexation into OCWD, but over the course of many years, steadily paving the way politically, economically, and equitably for an annexation that meets water supply needs while further promoting sustainability of regional groundwater resources. Read More…

Richard Zembal Receives Loren Hays Award

The Loren Hays Award for Visionary Wildlife Management is awarded by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) to a wildlife professional who has contributed to integrating the goals and values of wildlife protection with water resource management.

OCWD Natural Resources Director Dick Zembal is known for his indefatigable work with the Santa Ana sucker fish and other wildlife in the Santa Ana River Watershed. The decline of the sucker fish is a prime indicator of the health of the Southern California Watershed as it needs clean water to survive. Read More…

Operation Santa Claus Underway at OCWD

For 20 years, Staff Accountant Donna Pike has helped employees bring smiles to the faces of the underprivileged in Orange County during the holiday season.

Donna volunteers to head up the annual holiday toy drive at OCWD, which benefits the County of Orange Operation Santa Claus program.

"Operation Santa Claus provides gifts to children who have been abandoned, neglected, abused, and placed in foster care, as well as low-income seniors and adults with disabilities who are served by the County of Orange Social Services Agency, Health Care Agency, Probation Department, Child Support Services, and OC Community Resources," says Donna. Read More…

OCWD Hosts Local Desalination Workshop

On December 10 at 8 a.m. in the OCWD Boardroom located at 18700 Ward Street in Fountain Valley, the District will hold a special workshop to discuss the proposed Poseidon Resources Huntington Beach Ocean Desalination Facility. This is for informational purposes. No board action will be taken at this time. The public is invited. Please visit our Ocean Desal Exploration site for additional information on the subject.

Groundwater Adventure Tour Highlights

More than 130 guests, including state legislative staff, community leaders, local residents, educators, and water industry professionals, gathered on Oct. 23 for the annual Groundwater Adventure Tour, hosted by OCWD.

This yearly tour is a unique opportunity to introduce the public to all facets of the District's operations and includes stops at its Groundwater Replenishment System, Advanced Water Quality Assurance Laboratory, Anaheim Recharge Facilities, and Prado Wetlands. Read More…

Out in the Community

As part of its standard to forge and maintain long-term, positive and proactive relationships with members of the community and be transparent about its operations and programs, OCWD board members and staff participate, regularly, at community events and speak before civic groups. We participated in the following events during October: Read More...

OCWD in the News

General Manager Mike Markus conducted an on-camera interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes in late August. It was part of a story titled Depleting the Water, which aired Nov. 16 on CBS. You can also see a print recap of the segment titled 60 Minutes: GRACE Water Satellites + Worldwide Groundwater Depletion.

• Mike Markus was interviewed by the Jewish Journal. Here is a link to the story: Sukkot, rain and Andy Lipkis' vision for L.A.'s salvation
• Articles and video about Governor Brown's visit:
  • Daily Pilot: Gov. Brown, O.C. water district president meet on drought, ballot measures
  • Los Angeles Times: Gov. Brown stumps in the Southland
  • OCWD Video: Governor Brown Visits OCWD

OCWD Employees

OCWD's employees are its most valuable resources. It is committed to recruiting the best and enriching their lives to grow within the industry and the District family. OCWD welcomes new employees Brendan Neel, Hydrogeology Intern; Kylie Couch, Research & Development Lab Intern; and Patrick Murphy, Environmental Technician to the District.

October Tours

Thank you to the nearly 600 guests that toured OCWD's facilities in October: Members of the Photographic Society of Orange; students from the Academy Charter High School of Santa Ana, the Academy of Environmental & Social Policy High School in Los Angeles, Citrus College, Cypress College, Mount San Jacinto College, Cal State Fullerton Health Science, and Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering; California State University, Fullerton and California State University, Long Beach Nursing Schools; and professionals from the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the Dyeing and Fishing Technology Institute from the Republic of Korea, Korea Environment Corp., and the Santa Ana Watershed Project (SAWPA).

Public tours of the Groundwater Replenishment System are offered at
10 a.m. on the first Friday of every month; reservations are required. Tours may be scheduled for other days of the week, depending on staff availability. To schedule a tour or to request more information, please contact Becky Mudd at (714) 378-3362 or bmudd@ocwd.com. You may also visit www.gwrsystem.com to schedule these activities online.

CORRECTION: There was an error in the October edition of Hydrospectives. An article read that OCWD is celebrating its 82nd anniversary. It should have read 81st anniversary.