Realities of 21st-Century Water Sustainability

This year's guest speaker for the annual Vital and Alice Pellissier Distinguished Speaker Series is Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist and professor of Earth systems science at UC Irvine.

His free lecture is entitled "Satellite Observations of the Epic California Drought: Realities of 21st-Century Water Sustainability."

As California endures its fourth year of epic drought, questions regarding the future of water sustainability are inevitable. Snowpack, soil moisture, streamflow, reservoir and groundwater levels are all at record lows. Mandatory water restrictions have been implemented, statewide fines for wasting water have been authorized, and billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost.

When will it all end? Will it end at all? In this talk, Famiglietti will share the sobering, statewide picture that satellites are revealing and discuss future avenues for sustainability in both urban and agricultural regions.

Famiglietti is the founding director of the UC Center of Hydrologic Modeling, and is the senior water scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. He also serves on the California State Water Board, appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Famiglietti’s research group uses satellites and develops advanced computer models to track how fresh water availability is changing in California, the western United States and around the globe. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and of the Geological Society of America, and an avid writer who is committed to science communication. He is a frequent guest when the media is addressing water and drought issues. Learn more about him on his website.

The speaker series was made possible by a generous gift from the Pellissier family.

For more information, email Peggy Collins or call 209-228-4371.