The project will also have a focus on educating rural communities and landowners on groundwater recharge to repurpose land for recharge basins or flooding during the crops dormant season.  

 

Regional partners include Self-Help Enterprises, North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency. and Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

   

“We look forward to working with our partners in the region to create a solution that takes advantage of flood waters to recharge our aquifers, as well as educate community members about the benefits of groundwater recharge in the Valley,” said Laura Ramos, Interim Director of the California Water Institute’s Research and Education Division. 

Born and raised in Kingsburg, CA, Julissa Zavala describes herself as a Central Valley girl through and through. 

 

“Like a lot of high schoolers in the Valley, I thought I’d leave and go far away for college,” said Zavala, “However, once it finally came down to deciding what college to attend, Fresno State just seemed like the right fit.”

 

With almost 10 years of experience in the journalism industry, Zavala is a key player at Fresno State’s California Water Institute. As the Grants & Contracts Facilitator, she helps the institute receive funding for projects through researching and submitting grant proposals to state, federal, and private agencies. Zavala noted, “I rely heavily on the project team who are the experts on whatever project or research we are trying to do… After we are awarded a grant, I make sure the contract gets signed promptly, so we can start that project as soon as possible.” 

 

Outside of work, Zavala takes part in local book clubs, traveling, viewing different kinds of sports, and enjoys going to concerts. 

 

“I’ve gotten to see some of my favorite musical artists [live], including Taylor Swift, whose music you can find me listening to about 90% of the time,” she shared, “I love a lot of 80s and 90s movies. In terms of both movies and books, I like coming of age stories, romantic comedies, thriller, and horror genres.”

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

CWI's Water Bootcamp

The California Water Institute at Fresno State will be hosting its Water Bootcamp in honor of Water Awareness Month. The Water Bootcamp is a virtual series designed to educate the public about the complex water system in California and will be taking place every Friday of May, starting May 10th from 9:00 am to 11 am.   Each session will be about 20-30 minutes long, including a Q&A portion, with three of the days being held in English and one day in Spanish.   The sessions will take place on the following dates and times, with various topics being covered:  May 17th (English) Surface Water Rights  Surface Water and Distribution Private Well Ownership    May 24th (English) Groundwater Overview Groundwater Recharge  Groundwater Regulations   May 31st (Spanish) Hydrology, Watersheds, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Groundwater: Overview, Regulations, & Recharge Surface Water Distribution & Surface Water Rights Stormwater   Those interested in attending the Water Bootcamp can register here.