MEDIA CONTACTS
Chamber: Mike Lynch, mike@mikelynchconsulting.com, (209) 380-5841
CSU Stanislaus: James Leonard, jleonard1@csustan.edu, (209) 667-3884
California State University, Stanislaus and the Turlock Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to present a public forum on groundwater featuring experts from the university, city, county and state.
“Our Groundwater Challenges: What Do They Mean for the Turlock Area?” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. April 15 in the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Services Gateway Building, Room 130, on the CSU Stanislaus campus in Turlock. The forum is free and open to the public, and free parking will be available in Lot 11 (see map).
“One of the roles of a university is to be a venue where important discussions take place — and the outlook of our water supply is critical for this region,” CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley said. “We are pleased to host this forum at CSU Stanislaus.”
Said Chamber of Commerce Chair Andrew Wigglesworth: “The Turlock Chamber is pleased to have organized this forum to help educate the public and business community, as there is no issue more important to the long-term vitality of our economy and region than the availability of water.”
The forum will begin with brief presentations by each of five panelists, followed by a panel discussion and time for questions from the audience. The panel will feature: Horacio Ferriz, CSU Stanislaus Professor of Geology; Michael Cooke, City of Turlock Municipal Services Director; Michael Frantz, Turlock Irrigation District Director; Wayne Zipser, Chair of the Stanislaus County Water Advisory Committee; and Dorene D’Adamo, State Water Resources Control Board member.
“We are very supportive of efforts to study and initiate programs to protect, develop and sustain local groundwater resources,” D’Adamo said. “This forum is an excellent and important opportunity for collaboration amongst all stakeholders on this critically important issue. The timing is important, as the governor’s California Water Action Plan identified sustainable groundwater management as critical for this state’s future growth.”
The goal of the event is to inform and educate the public on groundwater issues and what they mean to the community, businesses, students, farmers and local residents. Panelists were chosen to provide a broad cross-section of experts, with a focus on how different segments of the region can work together toward mutually beneficial solutions.
“The collective knowledge and resources exist to keep our region’s groundwater sustainable for the future,” Frantz said. “What needs to develop now is the collective will to do something about it. This forum is another step in getting there.”