A Word from Our General Manager, Rebecca Guo

I'm excited to share EDWA’s Annual Report for FY 2025–26, a comprehensive look at what we have accomplished in each of our five implementation programs and the new projects we have underway to meet the objectives set forth in our Strategic Plan. Over the past year, we launched several new strategic initiatives, including our two Regional Water Blueprints for the Tahoe Basin and West Slope regions. Each blueprint will provide a collaborative framework for identifying key actions and an implementation roadmap for addressing our county’s most pressing water security challenges and opportunities.

Last fiscal year, we also worked with local fire agencies to start identifying raw water locations that could be used to strengthen water access for wildfire suppression in rural communities. In addition, we took on the lead Groundwater Sustainability Agency role for meeting Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requirements in the Tahoe Valley - Tahoe South subbasin and held our inaugural Headwaters 101 at State Capitol to create a dialogue with legislative staff about the far-reaching benefits our headwaters provide throughout the state.

It’s been a busy year, and I’m proud of all that our agency and amazing team have accomplished. We know there is more work to do and that collaboration is essential to ensuring our county has reliable and affordable water now and into the future. I invite you to take a look at our annual report and reach out if there are ways we can partner and support each other’s efforts.

Preparing for Water Shortages in El Dorado County

At DWR’s Drought Resilience Symposium, we shared our rural foothill experience on a statewide panel and provided an engaging demonstration project.

El Dorado County is no stranger to drought and water shortages, especially on the West Slope. While larger water purveyors in the county have had sufficient water supplies to weather water shortage events, smaller water systems and domestic well owners often lack reliable and/or redundant supplies. According to our 2025 County Drought & Water Shortage Resilience Plan, 71% of small water systems within El Dorado County rely on a single water source - typically a groundwater well. As a result, many have experienced water shortages over the last decade during dry years when groundwater levels declined and wells and springs ran dry. This trend is only expected to continue, as we’ve seen in recent years where our weather has whiplashed from droughts to very wet periods, exacerbating the risk of water shortages within the county.

As part of our effort to improve water shortage preparedness, we’re excited to announce that we have developed a new suite of resources to help local small water systems and domestic well owners prepare for drought and other water shortages. There you’ll find a well maintenance checklist, technical and financial resources, guidance on monitoring groundwater quality, and more. Check them out so that you are prepared before an emergency hits!

We were also honored to be invited to participate on a statewide panel to share our unique rural foothill experiences in improving drought preparedness at the California Department of Water Resources’ recent Drought Resilience Symposium. Attendees from throughout the state also stopped by our booth for a hands-on experience demonstrating the water security challenges associated with relying on groundwater from a fractured rock aquifer. We were glad to share insights from our rural county about how we are building local drought preparedness.

Elevating Our Rural Voice

State legislators, staff, and agency representatives got a birds eye view of our county during MCWRA-EcoFlight’s aerial tours

When most people think about El Dorado County, it likely brings to mind Lake Tahoe, the gold rush, and Apple Hill. In addition to being amazing places to recreate and a place of historic significance, it is important that decisionmakers and partners also understand how local water resource challenges and impacts to watershed health have rippling effects throughout the state. That’s why we had a busy summer building connections across the state.

We partnered with the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association and EcoFlight to give state legislators, staff, and agency representatives a view of our headwaters from above. Our board chair, Lori Parlin, and General Manager, Rebecca Guo, served as two of the Aerial Tour Guides, providing participants with a bird's-eye view and engaging dialogue of the issues.

Participants from the state legislature and agency staff learned that approximately two-thirds of the state’s surface water supply originates in the Sierra Nevadas, which are critical for water supply, water quality, and a host of other benefits statewide. We also got an up-close look at the Caldor fire burn scar and discussed the forest restoration efforts underway, what long-term fire mitigation and recovery efforts entail, and how the state can support these efforts.

In addition, we helped plan for and participated in the ACWA Region 3 tour. We led the lunchtime session alongside Derek Delfino, owner of Delfino Farms and El Dorado County Agricultural Commission member, to speak on the importance of our county’s agritourism and the water supplies it relies on. We also attended the Urban Water Institute's Annual Conference, which fostered connections and conversations about water issues spanning the state.

Sharing water and agricultural perspectives alongside Derek Delfino at ACWA Region 3’s tour

ACWA Region 3 tour highlighted our unique water conditions 

These events, alongside the various other tours we provided this summer, provided an opportunity to share our mountain county perspective and explain how wildfire risk and forest and watershed health are integral to statewide water conversations.