Rising Waters

Rising Waters helps decision makers develop solutions to complex water challenges while training a workforce with experience working collaboratively to find solutions.

Rising Waters is one of four CEI Education into Action programs that focus on meaningfully improving sustainability and resilience challenges of the North Bay. Because these programs are made possible through contracts and donations, we encourage you to consider supporting this effort. Lead funders for the Rising Waters initiative are:

Core Leadership Team

Projects are collaboratively identified and addressed by a Leadership Team composed of water agencies, organizations, and universities who work together to explore new solutions that might never be imagined through traditional structures.

Don McEnhill, Executive Director, Russian Riverkeeper
Sean McNeil, Deputy Director Environmental Services, City of Santa Rosa
Andy Rodgers, Executive Director, Russian River Watershed Association
Matt St. John, Executive Officer, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Michael Thompson, Retired (previously Assistant General Manager, Sonoma Water)
Also see additional leadership team members for each challenge area

Challenges Identified

The Nexus of Water Quality and Community Members Experiencing Homelessness (see below)
New challenges and projects currently in development.

Explore Rising Waters Projects

Enter "rising waters" at Search Projects

CEI Support Staff

Kerry Wininger, Educational Outreach Lead
Dr. Chris Halle, Program Development Lead

Back to Education into Action

Nexus of Homelessness & Water Quality

The Nexus of Water Quality and Community Members Experiencing Homelessness (2020-2025)

Increases in homelessness test the fabric of North Bay communities and the agencies, governments and organizations that serve them. These are complex challenges that require multi-organizational and multidisciplinary solutions based on the best information available. Rising Waters is an opportunity to use the power of inter-disciplinary study to develop viable solutions, and to enhance public awareness of the complexity of these issues.

Leadership Team Membership

To develop solutions to water challenges emerging from homelessness, the following community leaders joined the Leadership Team:

Jenna Garcia, Housing Manager, City of Rohnert Park
Emily Quig, Homeless Services Coordinator, City of Rohnert Park
Ludmilla Bade, Advisory Committee of California Interagency Council on Homelessness, Sonoma County Continuum of Care Strategic Planning Committee

Workshops & Symposiums

Leadership Planning Workshop: July 16, 2020 - Leaders from water, health and social service sectors identified challenges and questions
Issues and Studies Workshop: Sept 9, 2020 - Participants identified project questions for multidisciplinary faculty-student teams
Annual Results Workshops: For recordings see Past Events and search on "Rising Waters"