FWA Working for You....Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

• Continually represents landowners as a grassroots voice on issues of concern through public speaking venues and testimonies. Issues a variety of publications in the form of articles, letters, memoranda, and white papers, reflections FWA's educational positions.
• Keeps our constituency aware of issues that affect and impact water rights, private property rights, and rural agricultural communities through a Quarterly Newsletter to over 5,000 homes and businesses.
• Frequently works with local agencies, levee districts, reclamation districts, and the State Reclamation Board in an effort to assure the proper operation, maintenance, and repairs to the Sacramento River Flood Control System. Such efforts work to assure that the residents of the Sacramento Valley are receiving the highest level of protection for their homes, businesses, farms, and families.
• Attends scores of CALFED, Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum, and other environmental program meetings to serve as a watchdog and a voice of landowners on the negative impacts (economic, regulatory, flooding community, agricultural) caused by these programs.
• FWA is the driving force for the establishment of meaningful landowner assurances and a robust good neighbor policy that will assure to minimize, avoid, and/or mitigate for any of the negative impacts caused by these programs.
• Conducts frequent presentations to local high schools, college classes, city councils, county Boards of Supervisors, and state and federal elected officials to educate them regarding issues of concern for rural agricultural communities.
• Was the lead organization in successfully opposing the abuse of the extraordinary power of eminent domain by Yolo County to needlessly and imprudently seize the Conaway Ranch. FWA testified on several occasions at the State Capitol in support of several legislative measures aimed at reforming the eminent domain process in a manner that would be respectfully of private property rights. Participated on the California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights Board.
• Participates in local ad hoc committees and meetings to discuss and address issues of concern associated with increased development within the rural communities of the Sacramento Valley.
• Represents landowners's voice in the development of the Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, the California State Water Plan, and the Tuscan Aquifer.
• Participated in dispute resolution regarding issues of recreation, agriculture, and habitat restoration, between landowners, and water agencies and the resource agencies, including State Parks, DFG, USFWS, and others.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Water Alliance

FWA Working for You
“A grassroots Voice Committed to Rural Communities”

Who is FWA?

Family Water Alliance is a coalition of people who are concerned about the future of agriculture, private property rights, rural communities, and the balance between man and nature.

What does FWA Do?

FWA educates through newsletters, public meetings, press releases, letters to our elected officials, freeway signs, and local media.  In addition, FWA testifies at public hearings, meets with local, state, federal public officials, and other agricultural and resource based groups.

FWA develops coalitions of people, and interests to resolve conflicts and find solutions that are both beneficial to man and nature.

What is the FWA mission?

The mission of Family Water Alliance is to educate the people regarding issues that affect rural communities.

How is FWA funded?

FWA is a 501c(3) non profit educational corporation.  FWA is funded by donors who believe in the goals and objectives of Family Water Alliance.

How many people does FWA reach?

FWA reaches over 5,000 people through our quarterly newsletter and thousands more through our website and public outreach.

What type of issues does FWA address?

Family Water Alliance addresses numerous issues that directly affect rural agricultural communities, whether is be land use, water rights, private property rights or our economic environment.

Some of our issues are land acquisitions, ecosystem restoration, environmental regulation, the degradation of our flood control system, increased fees, and demands on our water supplies as well as many other issues that threaten the economic viability of agriculture in the Central Valley of California.

How is FWA staffed?

FWA is managed by a non-salaried board of directors who volunteer their time and efforts.  A full-time executive director and part-time office staff manage daily operations.

What are FWA’s most recent key accomplishments?

• Campaign to stop the abuse of eminent domain by local governments, including Yolo County’s abuse of this power to acquire the 17,300 acre Conaway Ranch and its water rights.
• Working to implement changes to the Endangered Species Act that are compatible with property rights, and promote policies that lead to the recovery and delisting of species in a manner that does not burden property owners.
• Oversight of the Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum, including reduction of the Area from 213,000 acres to 77,000 acres.
• Instrumental in promoting policies within the SRCAF and the CALFED Program to install safeguards to protect landowners and local communities from the Redirected Negative Impacts caused by land acquisitions and ecosystem restoration programs.
• Installation and monitoring of 24 fish screens; providing ESA protections to farmers, while simultaneously protecting the fishery resource.
• Testimony to the U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature to promote programs and legislation designed to protect private property and water rights, preserve agriculture, and to promote increased flood protection.

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