Women, Latinos, and BIPOC Least Represented in Addressing Water Inequities

In August 2025, Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL), in conjunction with the University of California, Davis, released a groundbreaking California governance study focused on the CA water sector. The study on Assessing Representation, Access, and Transparency of Decision-Makers in California’s Water Sector examined board members and executive (or C-suite) positions, analyzing the composition of governing bodies in California’s water sector. It identified 1,980 Public Water Agencies PWAs) and sampled 688 (or 35%) of them. Results showed that historically marginalized communities— including women, Latinos, and other underrepresented groups in these decision-making bodies. The study also examined systemic barriers that prevent more diverse representation and whether board members had prior advantageous knowledge before assuming their roles.

Part II of this continuing study examined 364 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA); and 12 State Water Agencies (SWAs); the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), nine Regional Water Boards (RWBs), California Department of Water Resources (DWR); and the Colorado River Board. Sadly, the disparities nearly mimic the first study’s results.

Tune in as we speak with the President and Founder of WELL, Victor Griego, and Associate Professor at the University of California Davis (UC Davis), Dr. Samuel Sandoval Solis, about the studies and what can be done to rectify this issue.