The Urban Water Research Center Fall 2007 Seminar

California's Current Water Landscape

The UWRC and the Santa Margarita Water District present

Dennis O'Connor
Principal Consultant
Natural Resources and Water Committee
California State Senate

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
3:30 - 5:00 pm, Reception following
University Club, UC Irvine

 

UWRC Director Prof. Bill Cooper introduced Dennis O'Connor to a full house at the University Club Library on Tuesday, Nov. 13th. Over 65 faculty, students and water agency/industry representatives were on hand to hear Mr. O'Connor's informative, dynamic presentation on the status of California water, both legislatively and more generally. Mr. O'Connor began his talk with an outline of the history behind California's water law, particularly relating to the current legislative bond issues. He elaborated on possible future legislative scenarios and accompanying impacts. At the conclusion of his talk, he thoughtfully answered the audience's many questions, with considerable wit and an abundance of facts at his fingertips.

Mr. O'Connor has been with the State Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee since January 2003. Before coming to the Committee, he spent 10 years at the California Research Bureau (CRB), a nonpartisan policy research branch of the California State Library, serving for six of those years as the Assistant Director for the Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. O'Connor is the author of a number of CRB reports, including reports on the governance of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the on the financing of the State Water Project.

We wish to thank Mr. O'Connor for sharing his broad expertise and unique insight into California's water with our colleagues and guests at UCI. We also wish to thank our cosponsor, the Santa Margarita Water District, for providing funding for this special event.

 

Photography by Sheila Cundall