ACWA Members Take California Water Priorities to Washington

WASHINGTON D.C. - Nearly 140 ACWA members gathered in the nation's capital this week for the annual ACWA D.C. Conference, meeting with federal representatives and hearing directly from members of Congress and administration officials.

On Tuesday, attendees visited Capitol Hill to connect with their representatives. The afternoon Congressional Speakers Program gave members the opportunity to continue to engage directly with lawmakers. The group heard from U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-02), Ken Calvert (R-41) and Jim Costa (D-21).

Keynote speakers who kicked off today's programming included: Dustin Sherer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior; Tom Schultz, Chief of the United States Forest Service; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA); and Brian Nesvick, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Topics included infrastructure funding, project streamlining and collaboration to address endangered and invasive species.

At lunch, ACWA presented United Conservation District with the Most Effective Agency on a Federal Issue Award for its 2025 outreach efforts, which elevated science-based water policy to the national stage. The district's work included congressional testimony, direct collaboration on the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 and the FISH Act, and coalition-building that strengthened federal reform efforts.

The conference concludes tomorrow with an advocacy debrief and strategic discussion on next steps.