Drought, Disaster, and Decision-Making: Can a Crisis Be Averted in the Colorado River Basin?
2026-05-08 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Join expert researchers and water managers for this virtual mini-symposium as we examine dire conditions and the escalating crisis in the Colorado River Basin, where the future ability to serve 40 million users across Western states, tribes, and Mexico hangs in uncertainty.
What to Expect: We’ll unpack climate-driven declines, shed light on complex interstate negotiations, and examine pathways to resilience. Speakers will consider pragmatic outcomes and what a balanced deal could look like for the West — and for California’s water future. Each panel will be followed by moderated Q&A.
When: Friday, May 8 from 9:00am-12:00pm Pacific Time
Where: Register here to receive the Zoom link to attend.
Presented by: UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation in partnership with UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA Water Resources Group, UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the California Institute for Water Resources.
Register Here

Agenda at a Glance

Opening Remarks
Panel 1: Setting the Stage – The State of the River
Panel 2: Demystifying the Negotiations Process
Panel 3: Approaches for a More Resilient River
Panel 4: Where We Go From Here
Closing Remarks

Hosts
Dr. Edith de Guzman, Water Equity and Adaptation Policy Cooperative Extension Specialist, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Dr. Gregory Pierce, Senior Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation; Director, Human Right to Water Solutions Lab; Director, UCLA Water Resources Group
Featured Speakers
Ian James, Water Reporter, Los Angeles Times (moderator)
Chairwoman Amelia Flores, Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Tribal Council
Anne Castle, Senior fellow, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment at the University of Colorado Law School
Bradley H. Udall, Senior Water and Climate Research Scientist and Scholar, Colorado Water Center, Colorado State University; Senior Fellow, Colorado River Research Group
Dr. Kathryn Sorensen, Director of Research, Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University
Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Chairman JB Hamby, Chairman of the Colorado River Board of California
Dr. Mark Gold, Adjunct Professor (former), UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Cara Horowitz, Andrew Sabin Family Foundation Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law; Director, Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic
Dr. Glen M. MacDonald, John Muir Memorial Chair in Geography; Director, White Mountain Research Center, UCLA Distinguished Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Benjamin Bass, Research scientist, UCLA Center for Climate Science
Noah Garrison, Environmental Science Practicum Director, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Brennon Mendez, Emmett/Frankel Fellow in Environmental Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law
Isabel Friedman, Senior Advocacy Associate, Natural Resources Defense Council
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