Tribal Affairs
Welcome to the Water Boards' Tribal Affairs webpage
Meaningful engagement with California Native American Tribes is fundamental to the mission of the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards (collectively, the Water Boards). Collaboration and input from all Californians help the Water Boards advance decisions and policies that better protect the environment, public health, and beneficial uses by effectively managing California’s water resources. Working with California Native American Tribes holds a special value at the Water Boards because of our parallel relationship to the people we serve and because of Tribes’ historic knowledge and experience managing California’s water resources since time immemorial.
By working together over the past decade, we, the Water Boards and California Native American Tribes, have strengthened our relationships, held meaningful government-to-government consultations, and deepened our discourse to great success. For example, in the policy realm, together we developed and defined statewide Tribal Beneficial Uses for water quality purposes—thus acknowledging the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the unique concerns and needs of Tribes.
Topics of Interest
- Tribal Beneficial Uses
- NEW! Review our draft Tribal Beneficial Use guidance document and email tribal-liaison@waterboards.ca.gov with feedback through November 11, 2022.
- Regional Water Board Progress Updates on Tribal Beneficial Uses
- Cannabis Cultivation
- Funding
- Water Quality
- Water Rights & Water Quality Training for Tribes (2014) - Part 1 | Part 2
- Bioaccumulation Monitoring Program Realignment Effort
- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Fish Advisory Warnings
- Drinking Water
- Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
- Digital Atlas of California Native Americans
Calendar of Events
This calendar displays all Tribal Affairs public meetings, webinars, and workshops. Schedule of events is subject to change.
Search assistance for the Calendar of Events:
- To narrow the list of events, use the search box below. You may use both letters and numbers.
- To display the entire calendar, clear the search box.
- To sort the calendar based on a column, click the column heading you would like to sort by.
| Date (Sortable) |
Topic (Sortable) |
Location (Sortable) |
Additional Information (Sortable) |
Category (Sortable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tues.-Thurs., Oct. 25 – 27, 2022 | Tribal EPA Conference | Lake Tahoe, CA and Remote Participation | Tribal-Federal Event | |
| Mon., Oct. 24, 2022 | USEPA Regional Operations Committee (RTOC) Meeting | Lake Tahoe, CA and Remote Participation | Tribal-Federal Event | |
| Fri., Sep. 23, 2022 | California Native American Day | To Be Determined | Tribal-State Agency Event | |
| Wed., Sep. 7, 2022 9:30 a.m. PDT |
State Water Board Public Meeting on Tribal Beneficial Use Definitions for the Central Valley Regional Water Board | Coastal Hearing Room, CalEPA Headquarters, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, and Remote Participation | State Agency Event | |
| Tues., Aug. 23, 2022 12:00 p.m. PDT |
Deadline to comment on Central Valley Regional Water Board Tribal Beneficial Use Definitions | Remote Participation Only | State Agency Event | |
| Mar. – Nov. 2022 | Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) Bioaccumulation Monitoring Program Tribal Engagement | Remote Participation Only Until Further Notice | Statewide Engagement |
Stay informed
Email Subscription List
To receive updates on the Tribal Affairs program, subscribe to the Tribal Matters email list.
Contact Us
Adriana Renteria, Tribal Liaison
Email: Tribal-Liaison@waterboards.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 216-1126
Coordinating Agencies
