Water Course

California Water Course

Science, Policy and Management

Course registration: March 16th, 2026. Link will be shared here.

Registration Description Calendar Content Materials Guidebook Water System Self Assessment Water Policy Map (Español)

Course Description

Objective: Provide relevant and applied education of water science, policies and management to residents, businesses, community water advocates, and entry level professionals in California.

Audience: any person interested in water issues and solutions in California, including water advocates, community leaders and entry level professionals.

Minimum requirements: Course enrollees should have basic knowledge of arithmetic and algebra

Student learning objectives: At the end of the course, the student will be able to
●  identify the natural and human-made components of their water system and recognize how they are connected
●  distinguish the water policies that apply in their region of interest,
●  evaluate the current water management in their region of interest, and
●  critique and propose alternative water management alternatives for their region of interest

Length: 40 hours total. 2 hours of video content, 14 hours self-guided content, and 24 hours of in person events

Certificate of Completion: This is a Pass/Fail course. You have to attend the all the group meetings and submit your Water System Self-Assessment assignments. If completed successfully, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Important Dates:

Registration opens: March 16th, 2026
Deadline to Register: April 17th, 2026

Kickoff meeting (All - remote): May 2 2026, 8:30 to 10:00 am

Field trips (in Person - Each Chapter):
Indigenous Water Guardians: May 23, 9 am to 5 pm
Sacramento basin: May 30, 9 am to 5 pm
San Joaquin and Tulare basin: June 6, 9 am to 5 pm
San Francisco Bay Area: June 13, 9 am to 5 pm

Basic Concepts (All - remote): July 25, 9 am to 3 pm

Water System Self-Assessment (All - remote): August 29, 8 am to noon

The California Water Course it's a different course of water in California, because it is:

(1) Self-guided, you can take it at your own pace, you only need to attend three in-person meetings,
(2) Self-interest driven, each assignment is tailor towards the interest of each of the participants,
(3) Authenticated, meaning that the course is based on real-world examples,
(4) Question driven, meaning that the content is based on asking questions rather than explaining topics,
(5) Flipped-classroom, the theory and homework is done on your own, and the hand's on training is done during in-person events, and
(6) Bilingual, you can take the class in English or Español.

Course Content

Module 1 - Water systems and basic concepts of hydrology

Module 2 - Water policies in California

Module 3 - Water budgets

Module 4 - Public comment letter (optional)

Course Materials

Freely available at:

Facebook search: californiawatercourse
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/californiawatercourse/

Instagram Search: californiawatercourse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/californiawatercourse/

Tiktok Search: SamuelSandovalSolis
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user7868176383407?_t=8pfQloImBWV&_r=1

Youtube Search: Samuel Sandoval Solis
YouTube Chanel: Module 1 (English, Spanish), Module 2 (English, Spanish), and Module 3 (English, Spanish)

Course Calendar

	Date	Time	Location	Session	Meeting	What is due?
	Date	Time	Location	Session	Meeting	Guidebook - Vides	Water System Self Assessment
Intro.	Mon Mar/16	8:00 am	Here in the website	Registration opens
	Mon Apr/17	Midnight	---	Registration closes
	Sat May/2	8:30-10:00 am	Zoom	Agenda, presentation, video, bios.	Kickoff Meeting (Remote)
Module 1 - Water Systems	Sat May/2	---	Here in the website	Release - Guidebook, videos and Water Systems Self-Assessment
	Fri May/22	Midnight	Guidebook. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube	Deadline to read/watch the guidebook/videos (Module 1)		X
	Sat May/23	9:00 am to 5:00 pm	Location: TBD	Instructions, Agenda, Water Policy Map: English, Español, Rubric	Field trip Indigenous Water Guardians
	Sat May/30	9:00 am to 5:00 pm	Location: TBD	Instructions, Agenda, Water Policy Map: English, Español, Rubric	Field trip Sacramento Basin
	Mon Jun/1	Midnight	Google drive (Instructions)	Deadline. Module 1 Water System Self Assessment			X
	Sat Jun/6	9:00 am to 5:00 pm	Location: TBD	Instructions, Agenda, Water Policy Map: English, Español, Rubric	Field trip San Joaquin - Tulare Basin
	Sat Jun/13	9:00 am to 5:00 pm	Location: TBD	Instructions, Agenda, Water Policy Map: English, Español, Rubric	Field trip San Francisco Bay Area
Module 2 - Water Policies	Mon Jun/29	Midnight	Guidebook	Deadline to read the guidebook (Module 2)		X
	Mon Jul/6	Midnight	Google drive (Instructions)	Deadline. Module 2 Water System Self Assessment			X
	Sat Jul/25	9:30 am - 4:30 pm	Zoom	Basic Concepts. Agenda. Presentations: Soils and Water 1 and 2, Water Quality, Community Water Tool, Community Needs Assessment & Collaboration, Water Justice 1 and 2.	Basic Concepts (Remote)
Module 3 - Water Budgets	Sat Jul/27	Midnight	Guidebook	Deadline to read the guidebook (Module 3)		X
Module 3 - Water Budgets	Mon Aug/3	Midnight	Google drive (Instructions)	Deadline. Module 3 Water System Self Assessment			X
Module 4 - Public Comment Letter	Sat Aug/29	8:00 am to noon	Zoom	Agenda, registration form for your presentaiton time.	Wat. Syst. Self- Assessment Sacramento Basin
	Sat Aug/29	1:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Zoom	Agenda, registration form for your presentaiton time.	Wat. Syst. Self- Assessment San Joaquin/Tulare
	Mon Aug/6	Midnight	Guidebook	Deadline to read the guidebook (Module 4)		X
	Mon Sep/7	Midnight	Google drive (Instructions)	Deadline. Module 4 Water System Self Assessment			X
	Sat Sep/12	8:00 am to noon	Zoom	Agenda, registration form for your presentaiton time.	Wat. Syst. Self- Assessment Indigenous Water Guardians
	Sat Sep/12	1:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Zoom	Agenda, registration form for your presentaiton time.	Wat. Syst. Self- Assessment San Francisco Bay Area

Guidebook

Module	Document	IG	FB	TT	YT	or Videos
Module 1. Water Systems	Module 1 (pdf)	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	1. What is a water System? 2. What is a basin? 3. What are the natural elements of a water system? 4. What are the human-made elements of a water system? 5. What are the key water cycle events to remember? 6. How human activities and climate change are affecting the water cycle? 7. How Many water Systems are there? 8. How Water moves naturally in California? 9. How snowmelt driven rivers function (high elevation)? 10. How rainfall driven rivers function (mid elevation)? 11. How rainfall and aquifer driven rivers function (low elevation)? 12. How grounwater moves underneath the valleys? 13. How urban water systems works? 14. How agricultural systems works? 15. How hydropower systems works? 16. How flood protection systems works?


Module 2. Water Policies	Module 2 (pdf)					What policies apply at all times in the State of California? What are the conditions to use water in the state of California? Whose water is it? How the state of California protects public water uses? What law protects any water body (e.g. rivers, aquifers) for being contaminated? What law protects drinking water? Does every Californian have the right to drinking water? What laws protect all animal and plants species living in California waters? What policies apply according the type of water source (e.g. surface water or groundwater)? How can I use surface waters? What is a riparian water right? What is an appropriative water right? How can I use groundwater? What is an overlaying groundwater right? What is an appropriative groundwater right? What are the laws in California that I need to know to use groundwater? How can I use water if I am located in an adjudicated groundwater basin? How can I use water if I am located in a groundwater basin managed by SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act)? What is SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act)? How Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) manage groundwater? Are groundwater laws related with surface water? How the environment (river ecosystems) is protected in rivers? How can I obtain an instream flow? How much water is needed to sustain adequate ecological conditions in rivers? What are the ecological components that I should consider for instream flows? How can a tribe use water in California? What is the legal framework of tribal water rights (federally reserved rights)? What are the agencies that regulate tribal water (federally reserved rights) in California? How can a Tribe gain access or hold a water right? What is the legal framework of recycled water use in California? What are the agencies that regulate recycled water in California? How can an individual or an institution gain access to recycled water in California? What is a key water principle that water sysytem follow?


Module 3. Water Budgets	Module 3 (pdf)					What is a Water Budget? What is a control volume and how it applies to the water budget of my water system? How is a water budget for surface water basins? How is a water budgets for groundwater basins? How is a water budget for cities?
Module 4. Public Letter Comment	Module 4 (pdf)

IG .- Instagram, FB.- Facebook, TT.- Tik Tok, YT.- Youtube

Water System Self-Assessment

File with the instructions to submit your Water System Self-Assessment Assignment

Module	Materials
Module 1. Water Systems	Template for your Water System Example of Pajaro Valley
Module 2. Water Policies	Template for your Water System Example of Pajaro Valley
Module 3. Water Budget	Template for your Water System Example of Pajaro Valley
Module 4. Public Comment Letter	Template for your Water System Example of Pajaro Valley