Water is life – in so many ways!  Without adequate supplies, life is threatened, as are our agriculture, forests and fisheries, and our natural ecosystems. As the climate changes, droughts are occurring more frequently in southern Oregon resulting in adverse impacts to our water supplies as well as an increased risk of fire in the region.  Indeed, water availability may be the most immediate and distressing consequence of the warming trend we are experiencing.  The next SOCAN monthly general meeting at 6:00 pm on May 25th will feature Julie Smitherman, Water Resources Coordinator with the Medford Water Commission explaining how climate is affecting our water supplies. Julie will also discuss municipal water sources and how these serve local communities, the role and efficiency of irrigation canals, how – over the short and long term – we can conserve water and increase our water use efficiency, and how we can work together toward a secure water future.

The program will be free and accessible via ZOOM. To register and receive the URL, visit the SOCAN calendar at https://socan.eco/events/.

Image by Julie Smitherman, taken at Emigrant Lake in October 2020.