Darcy & Darcy welcomed California State Senator Anna Caballero, representing District 14, which stretches across parts of Madera, Merced and Fresno counties. Last year, Senator Caballero joined us and shared with us her efforts on SB 366, a bill that was intended to modernize the California Water Plan and mandated that the Department of Water Resources to set long-term water supply targets.SB366 died in committee, leaving many in the water sector wondering if the water plan would ever have any accountability.

The Senator’s back with the Darcys to talk about SB 72, which was just newly signed into law. SB 72 picked up where SB366 left off, setting statutory long-term targets, with an interim target of 9-million-acre-feet. The conversation goes far beyond the bill, and includes the challenges California cities, communities, and water districts face in managing flood waters, repurposing flood control dams for water storage as well, and more. To learn more about Senator Caballero, visit www.sd14.senate.ca.gov/ .

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

With growing frequency, water systems, cities, and other water utilities have been held for ransom as a direct result of a cybersecurity attack. These attacks can hold a system hostage for millions of dollars, jeopardizing customer data as well as water and wastewater operations; ultimately impacting public health and safety. Many systems have recently discovered that insurance is no longer covering the bill. For policymakers, believing “We’re fine” is not only naive but also dangerous and can be extremely expensive.

This week, Darcy Villere and Darcy Burke welcomed American Water Works Association’s in-house cybersecurity expert, Dr. Kevin Morley, and Santa Margarita Water District Board Member and local government cybersecurity advisor, Frank Ury. Kevin and Frank share what the bad actors are doing and where they are hiding (It should scare you), why paranoia is not always such a bad thing, and why a recovery plan is critical. If your Cybersecurity or IT Team says, “We’re fine.” You need to listen.

For more information about Dr. Kevin Morley and the American Water Works Association’s cybersecurity resources, visit https://www.awwa.org/resource/cybersecurity-guidance/. To learn more about Frank Ury and Santa Margarita Water District, visit https://www.smwd.com/.

Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning in!

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Agriculture scored a win recently when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California’s ruling that the Clean Water Act’s exemption for “irrigated agriculture return flows” shields projects like the Grassland Bypass Project (GBP) from federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements.

At the heart of the issue is David Cory, President of the Grasslands Basin Authority. This week David joins Darcy and Darcy and shares the history of the GBP, the related San Joaquin River Water Quality Improvement Project (SJRIP), the eleven-year litigation, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, and much more. You’ll learn from David that even when you do things the right way from the beginning and involve the right stakeholders, things don’t always go as planned. Be sure and listen-in! To learn more about David and the GBP, visit www.GBAAuthority.com.

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

One of Darcy Villere’s favorite projects is the long-awaited San Joaquin River Restoration Project. And after 16 years, there is some good news! This week Steve Chedester, Director of Policy and Programs for the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, joins Darcy V. and Darcy B. He provides a great project overview, the benefits, new funding, and of course, the ever-important new project price tag.

This is a multi-faceted project, with lots of complexities (Of course, there are – it’s a California water project!) and stakeholders. For more information about the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, visit www.restoresjr.net. If you would like to learn more about Steve and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, visit www.sjrecwa.net.

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Anja Raudabaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairies joins Darcy and Darcy this week and shares how she led the effort to defeat Sonoma Ballot Proposition Measure J

a citizen-led initiative which would have banned dairy as well as similar farming operations. The ballot initiative was defeated with 85% of voters, NOT supporting the proposition. Anja was able to get the Republican Party of Sonoma County, but also the Democratic Party of Sonoma County AND the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to oppose the measure? How? That’s what the Darcy’s wanted to know! To find out Anja’s secrets, listen in! To learn more about Anja and Western United Dairies, visit www.wudairies.com.

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

The K.I.S.S. method, Keep it Simple (Sweetheart), is easier said than done. This is especially true when you are coordinating 23 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and their respective plans and consultants into one Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Yes, you read that right, twenty+ agencies!

Jarrett Martin, General Manager of Central California Irrigation District (CCID), took on that task for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin and believes that after two failed attempts they are close to approval. Darcy Villere and Darcy Burke have been waiting to have Jarrett on for quite some time and were eager to learn how he did it! Jarrett makes it sound easy. He shares the ultimate goals of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how he managed to ‘Keep It Simple’.

Jarrett also shares how State Board staff knew and understood legacy conditions, which ended up being a game-changer. To find out more, and how Jarrett and the Delta-Mendota Subbasin achieved this herculean task, listen in!

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Assemblyman David Tangipa joins Darcy and Darcy for a great conversation that covers a wide range of California issues and topics! For those that don’t know him yet, David is the youngest person serving in the California legislature. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2024 and represents District 8, which includes Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties. Darcy & Darcy discuss with David his perspective on the business of California’s legislature, his first six months in office, some great ideas he has about putting existing infrastructure to work doing double duty, the impact the Groundwater Sustainability Act has had on his constituents, and most importantly, lessons learned.

One thing is clear: David is an upcoming California policy leader. The ECPAC is looking forward to hosting a fundraiser for David on July 31st at noon at M & M’s Italian Restaurant in Los Banos. If you would like to support David or join us for lunch, please contact Terra at (559) 281-9088 or email her at tbrusseau@centralvalleygroup.com. All are welcome to attend.

To learn more about Assemblyman Tangipa and District 8 visit www.ad08.asmrc.org/.

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, a verifiable Woman of Water – aka a WOW - joins Darcy and Darcy this week and the conversation never stops! Karla shares her experiences and how relationships are the key to California’s water response success – especially in a crisis. She tells the Darcys how she has learned and adapted. Those lessons and adaptations came from weather uncertainty, regulations, legislation, and serving four (Yes FOUR!) Governors, each with their own Water and Delta plans. The complexity of her job grows daily, however, that has not dissuaded her. Karla shares that her job is to solve problems and she is ready for whatever may come.

Darcy and Darcy don’t let her off easy. They ask her about floods and California’s preparedness, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the Delta Conservation Plan (DCP), Infrastructure or lack thereof, and what keeps her up at night. Listen in! This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

To learn more about the California Department of Water Resources, visit www.water.ca.gov.

Send us a text

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.