WATERS Collaborative
Watershed Academics to Enhance Regional Sustainability
Sonoma State University / Sonoma County Water Agency
WATERS Meeting 10-9-2014, 12:30-1:30, Redwood Rooms, Sonoma County Water Agency
In Attendance:
SCWA and Affiliates: Grant Davis, Efren Carrillo, Michelle Whitman, Ann Dubay, Cordel Stillman, Sharry
Barbie, Rochelle Mueller, Brian Lee, Pam Jeane, Cordell Stillman, Corlin Gabriel, Rosario Williams, Bo
Brown, Trisha Meisler, Cary Olin, Kory Hebner, Carolyn Glanton, Chase Takajo, Andrea Pecharion, Dale
Roberts, Jennifer Larocque, Liz Kline, Susan Haydon, Kent Gylfe, Todd Schram,
SSU: Michelle Goman, Debora Hammond, Jackie Guilford, Chris Halle, Emma Anthony, Gracie, Jennifer
Nichols, Richard Quach, Claudia Luke
1. Introduction – Claudia Luke, WATERS Coordinator, gave a brief introduction highlighting the number
and diversity of WATERS Projects in the last two years. Over 800 students and 21 faculty from 9
departments and 3 schools worked on 35 projects. The presentation included maps showing the
locations of projects in the county.
2. WATERS Project Updates - SSU faculty and researchers described how they were engaging students
on a variety of current projects:
 Michelle Goman, Geography – Sediment, erosion, and mast wasting studies in the Copeland
Creek watershed
 Debora Hammond, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies – Copeland Creek water quality
monitoring
 Jackie Guilford, Environmental Studies and Planning – Rohnert Park nutrient loading into the
Laguna de Santa Rosa
 Chris Halle, Researcher working with Martha Shott in Mathematics and Statistics – Statistics and
modeling for Rohnert Park flood warning
3. Student Comments – A panel of 4 students (Emma Anthony, Gracie, Jennifer Nichols, and Richard
Quach) talked about how their experiences working on WATERS projects increased their motivation,
deepened and broadened their understanding, gave them new skills, and highlighted the
importance of water in their lives.
4. Discussion - During the discussion, SCWA and affiliates identified projects they are interested in
working on with SSU faculty:
 Effron Carillo – Can we expand the WATERS program to engage the underserved latino
community? In particular, can we get university students to work with high school students on
these projects, increasing their awareness and encouraging them to pursue a college education?
 Kent Gylfe – Does the NOAA 14 Atlas model accurately track historic flood events? What areas in
the county that don’t conform to the Atlas 14 model, due to scaling and interpolation
algorithms? Can historical data be used to increase the accuracy of these models?
 Cordel Stillman
o How does the water quality of sources used to recharge ground water affect ground
water quality?
o
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Where are the most economical areas in Sonoma County to recharge ground water in
Sonoma County?
o SCWA has good estimates of the amount of energy it takes to distribute water to
consumers, but would like input on how to estimate the amount of energy used after
the user gets the waters from city. How much energy is saved by water conservation by
the consumer?
Keenan Foster – What non-invasive plant would be ideal for flood control channels (i.e., provide
summer habitat for wildlife, but not impede flood capacity in the winter?)
Ann Dubay – As consumers conserve water, SCWA must raise rates to cover costs. What
solutions could be developed to financially reward consumers for conserving water?