Coachella Valley Legislative Water Workshop

September 6, 2022, WELL UnTapped graduate class of 2022, Oscar Ortiz, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Indio, and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, District 56, hosted a discussion with other local elected officials and water industry experts about water issues impacting the region.

Speakers included Zoe Rodriguez del Rey, Water Resources Manager, Coachella Valley Water District; Cástulo Estrada, Vice President, Coachella Valley Water District, and WELL Boardmember; Frank Salazar, Boardmember, California Department of Food & Agriculture; Miguel Hernandez, Public Affairs Officer, California Natural Resources Agency; and James Newcomb, Assistant Deputy Director, Salton Sea Management Program, Department of Water Resource. Topics discussed included water sources and water use in the Coachella Valley, the State  Water Board’s role in the water crisis, the future of the Salton Sea, and the future of water in California and the Coachella Valley. 

The workshop was sponsored by the College of the Desert, the City of Indio, and the Indio Water Authority. The keynote speakers were Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources, and E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. 

This workshop is the culmination of the 6-months Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz spent in the UnTapped Fellowship program. As a graduate of the WELL Untapped Fellowship, he is asked to share the knowledge and relationships he has gained with other local elected officials and community leaders in his region. 

A recording of the workshop is available on our YouTube channel, click here.