California and some other parts of the Western United States have been in a severe drought for more than four years.The Irrigation Association (IA) announced this week it will play host to a “Drought Summit” in conjunction with its 2015 Irrigation Show & Education Conference in Long Beach, California. The education conference is set for Nov. 9-13, while dates for the show are Nov. 11-12.
The Drought Summit is scheduled for Nov. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will bring together key stakeholders and industry leaders for an interactive dialogue on water use during a drought, according to IA.
Sessions will address California’s water shortage, groundwater sustainability and drought mitigation. In addition, an expert panel will discuss the critical role of water-efficient technologies and infrastructure in the future of irrigated agriculture.
Summit highlights will include an overview of groundwater management during drought from the National Ground Water Association and breakout sessions that will assess the current Western drought situation from both agricultural and turf/landscape irrigation perspectives.
An IA spokesperson says the schedule is still being finalized, but key leaders from California Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration and the Western Governors’ Association have been invited. The event will focus on not only current industry problems but also lessons learned during the past four years of severe drought as well as the future of irrigation management.
