A public forum will be held at California State University, Stanislaus to discuss groundwater issues with experts from the university, city, county, and state.

“Our Groundwater Challenges: What Do They Mean for the Turlock Area?” will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. April 15 in the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Services Gateway Building, Room 130, on the CSU Stanislaus campus.

“One of the roles of a university is to be a venue where important discussions take place — and the outlook of our water supply is critical for this region,” CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley said. “We are pleased to host this forum at CSU Stanislaus.”

The forum will begin with a brief presentation from each of five panelists: Horacio Ferriz, CSU Stanislaus Professor of Geology; Michael Cooke, City of Turlock Municipal Services Director; Michael Frantz, Turlock Irrigation District Director; Wayne Zipser, Chair of the Stanislaus County Water Advisory Committee; and Dorene D’Adamo, State Water Resources Control Board member.

A panel discussion will follow the presentations, with time for questions from the audience.

“We are very supportive of efforts to study and initiate programs to protect, develop and sustain local groundwater resources,” D’Adamo said. “This forum is an excellent and important opportunity for collaboration amongst all stakeholders on this critically important issue. The timing is important, as the governor’s California Water Action Plan identified sustainable groundwater management as critical for this state’s future growth.”

The goal of the the forum is to educate the public on groundwater issues and what the issues mean to the community, business, students, farmers, and Turlockers.

“The collective knowledge and resources exist to keep our region’s groundwater sustainable for the future,” Frantz said. “What needs to develop now is the collective will to do something about it. This forum is another step in getting there.”