Water Interest Group

Anne Omsted, Co-Chair, LWVNCSD
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Rita Sudman, Co-Chair, LWVSD

What we do

A joint effort of the San Diego and North County Leagues, the Water Interest Group educates itself and the public on water issues and monitors public policies in San Diego County governments and agencies regarding  this natural resource that is so necessary to life.  We follow developments around:

• where our water comes from
• future plans for water use and conservation
• legislation under consideration in Sacramento
• climate change implications
• drought and external factors that impact water
• pursuit of local and other potential sources of water

Meetings

 

The Water Interest Group  generally meets the first Tuesday of the month at 3pm via ZOOM.  Check our calendar for the latest information on time and speakers.

 

From the League of Women Voters of California's Water Interest Group

June 2026 — From Time Immemorial

 

Water Is Life — But Who Owns It?

Water belongs to all of us — but California's rules for who gets to use it are anything but simple. LWV California's Water Interest Group unpacks the state's "first in time, first in right" water rights system, exploring its tensions with Tribal rights, climate change, and environmental justice.
Read the Full Article

May 2026 — Protecting the Public Trust: Mono Lake and Beyond

An Ancient Law for Modern Waters: How the Public Trust Doctrine Fights Back
When Los Angeles drained Mono Lake nearly dry in the 1970s, a landmark court case transformed how California protects its waters. LWV California's Water Interest Group traces the public trust doctrine from that pivotal ruling to today — and explains why this ancient legal principle is one of our most powerful tools for environmental protection.
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April 2026 — California's Surface Water Development

California's Water: A Century of Moving Mountains (and Rivers)
How did California build a water system capable of serving tens of millions of people — and what did it cost? LWV California's Water Interest Group traces the major dams, aqueducts, and diversions that shaped the state's water infrastructure, and why a system built on ambition may now be running on borrowed time.
Read the Full Article