Eileen Alduenda, Executive Director for the Council for Watershed Health
Summaries from the Localizing California Waters Conference
Last week I attended the Localizing California Waters conference in Groveland, California. I was surrounded by water guardians and land stewards. I’ll be posting some of the information I learned, here on my substack.
Eileen Alduenda, Executive Director for the Council for Watershed Health, emphasized the significance of managing water resources as a valuable asset for communities. Acknowledging the positive efforts in rainwater capturing, she envisions a future where diverse habitats, such as oak trees, thrive in communities. Eileen pays tribute to the founder, Dorothy Green, for breaking down agency silos and fostering collaboration between entities for the sustainable management of watersheds, rivers, and streams.
She disagrees the top-down approach often imposed on communities, emphasizing the need to shift towards collaborative projects that empower communities. Eileen cited two projects, the Elmer Ave. and Elmer Paseo Neighborhood Retrofit program, as examples. The former demonstrated how green infrastructure can address water-related community issues, while the latter, a green alley project, involved residents in community engagement, leading to safer and more accessible spaces.
Eileen shared the evolution of their approach, acknowledging the challenges faced in fully integrating community priorities. She introduced the redesign of Elmer Ave., where community-driven initiatives focused on transportation were enhanced with stormwater management integration. Eileen encouraged more community-led projects and envisions opportunities to manage runoff extending to school sites. She emphasized the need to create better environments for children, highlighting the current imbalance with a high percentage of impervious surfaces in school landscapes. Her perspective underscores the importance of community engagement, collaboration, and adapting strategies to better align with the needs and desires of the communities involved.
Click through to their website for more information about the Localizing California Waters Conference.