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    Banner showing a reservoir at sunset with the headline “Protect Our Reservoirs.” It warns that golden mussels threaten local recreation and urges boaters and anglers to “Clean. Drain. Dry.” Icons show prohibited wet live bait (fish, crayfish, mussels) and steps to stop the spread: remove plants, drain water, and wipe down equipment. Footer includes ValleyWater.org/GoldenMussels and logos for Santa Clara County Parks and Valley Water.
    April 3, 2026
    Golden mussels in California: What Santa Clara County needs to know

    California’s water infrastructure is facing a new threat—one that’s tiny, invasive, and alarmingly fast-spreading. Golden mussels, native to Asia, were first detected in the Delta in 2024 and have spread to several California waterbodies hydrologically connected to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including San Luis Reservoir. These invaders pose a serious risk to water delivery systems across the state, including those serving Santa Clara County.

    Why golden mussels are a threat

    Read More
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    Youth Commission video contest banner
    March 27, 2026
    Calling young creators: Inspire water conservation in our Every Drop Counts video contest

    By the Valley Water Youth Commission 

    How would you inspire your community to save water in just 60 seconds? That’s the challenge for middle and high school students in our Every Drop Counts Video Contest. 

    We are hosting our first-ever video contest for middle and high school students, and the theme is water conservation. Students are invited to grab the mic, show off their creativity, and inspire their community to protect one of our most important resources, water! 

    Read More
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    March 25, 2026
    Statement From Valley Water Board Chair Tony Estremera regarding César Chávez Day

    The annual César Chávez Day has long represented more than the life of one person. It is a moment to recognize the broader fight for dignity, fair treatment, and the rights of farmworkers and working people whose labor sustains our communities.

    Read More
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Workshops & Events

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At workshops and events hosted by Valley Water and our partners, both professional landscapers and residential customers can find resources for designing and developing sustainable landscapes and gardens. You'll find resources for:

  • Comprehensive sustainable landscaping resources and events from South Bay Green Gardens
  • Garden viewing events
  • Our annual Landscape Summit for professional landscapers

South Bay Green Gardens

Valley Water is proud to be part of the South Bay Green Gardens team.

The South Bay Green Gardens website provides one-stop-shop for sustainable landscaping. You can find a variety of Events, Garden Galleries, Landscape Design Ideas, Compost and Mulching Tips, and much more. 

Visit South Bay Green Gardens

Garden Viewing Events

Growing Natives Garden Tour

Each spring, the Growing Natives Garden Tour showcases California native plants.

Landscape Summit

The Landscape Summit is an annual event developed through the Santa Clara Valley Water District's Landscape Committee.

It is a forum for professional landscapers to learn about water issues in the county and California as a whole, and how water relates to the landscaping industry. It's also an opportunity for Valley Water to get valuable feedback from landscape professionals, and for attendees to collaborate and exchange ideas.

View videos and presentation materials from the 2026 event:

  • Agenda and speaker bios
  • Slides and Timestamped Videos
    • Welcome and Introduction – Pamela Berstler, CEO of G3 (00:00) 
    • Board of Directors welcome – Vice Chair Richard Santos (0:47)
    • Opening Remarks - Shelkie Tao, Valley Water Landscape Committee Chair (05:30)
    • Valley Water: Planning for a Sustainable Water Supply – Rita Chan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Valley Water (13:30) / Slides
    • Valley Water Programs: Overview and Updates – Ashley Shannon, Senior Water Conservation Specialist (33:30) / Slides
    • Defensible Space, Zone Zero, and Urban Heat: Separating Physics from Assumptions - Todd Lando, Battalion Chief and Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Specialist, Central Marin Fire Department (1:05:37) / Slides
    • Building Resilience: Native Plant Landscapes for Fire-Adapting Communities - Ann-Marie Benz, Horticulture Programs Manager, California Native Plant Society (1:41:15) / Slides
    • Landscaping Paradigms, Fire, Conservation, & Habitat - Adrienne Edwards, Faculty Lecturer, Botanist, Author, and Ecologist, California State University, Chico (2:18:55) / Slides
    • Speaker Question and Answer Panel (3:03:33)
    • Summit Wrap Up and Closing – Valley Water, Ashley Shannon (3:35:16)
  • Full presentation video
  • Full presentation video (Spanish) Coming soon

View videos and presentation materials from the 2025 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides and Timestamped Videos
    • Welcome and opening remarks - Shelkie Tao, Landscape Committee Chair (00:00)
    • Board of Directors welcome - Vice Chair Richard Santos (05:30)
    • State of the Valley's Water - Assistant Officer Kirsten Struve (10:00)
    • Valley Water Conservation Program Updates - Senior Water Conservation Specialist Ashley Shannon (22:00)
    • Regenerative Agriculture: Solutions to Urban Landscapes - Dr Cynthia Daley (40:00) / Slides
    • Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of CA Landscaping Legislation (01:38:05) / Slides
    • Gardens for the Next Civilization - Story Wiggins (02:30:35) / Slides
    • Summit wrap and closing - Shelkie Tao (03:24:35)
  • Full presentation video
  • Speaker bios

 

View videos and presentation materials from the 2024 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides and Timestamped Videos
    • Welcome and opening remarks - Shelkie Tao, Landscape Committee Chair (00:00)
    • Board of Directors welcome - Vice Chair Richard Santos (04:45)
    • State of the Valley's Water - Assistant Officer Kirsten Struve (13:30) / Slides 
    • Valley Water Programs: Overview and Updates - Senior Water Conservation Specialist Ashley Shannon (29:07) 
    • Let's Talk about Native Plants - Moderator Shelkie Tao (46:25)
      • Rebecca Shoenenberger, Owner, California Nativescapes (47:30) / Slides
      • Rachel Klassen, Nursery Manager, Central Coast Wilds (57:48) / Slides
      • Dan Greeley, Program Manager, City of San Jose and Rhonda Nourse, Executive Director, Happy Hollow Foundation (01:09:04) / Slides
    • How are we dealing with Non-Functional Turf? - Moderator, Brian Boyers, Superintendent, Cinnabar Hills Golf Club (01:21:08)
      • Philip Dolan, Water Conservation Specialist, Valley Water (01:32:0) / Slides
      • Loren McIrvin, CEO, Allied Landscape (01:42:30) / Slides
      • Shannon Rossow, Environmental Programs Coordinator, City of Morgan Hill (01:51:13) / Slides
      • Kyla Phillips, Account Manager, Newpath Landscape (02:03:00) / Slides
      • What are Climate-Ready Trees? Natalie van Doorn, Research Urban Ecologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (02:19:41)
    • Summit wrap and closing - Shelkie Tao (02:46:27)
  • Full presentation video

View videos and presentation materials from the 2023 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides and Timestamped Videos
    • Reuse: Strategies for Using Less Water in the Landscape - Lori Palmquist, Irrigation Designer, Consultant and Educator (00:00)
    • Reuse: Integrating Advanced Greywater Systems into Landscape Installation Projects - Alan Hackler, Bay Maples: Wild California Gardens (37:22)
    • Replenish: Green Storm Water Infrastructure Design and Maintenance: Replenishing the Urban Landscape - Peter Schultze-Allen, EOA Inc. (01:10:00)
    • Summit wrap and closing (01:42:40)
    • State of the Valley's Water - Melanie Richardson, P.E., Former Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Water Management, Valley Water
    • Valley Water Programs: Overviews & Updates - Ashley Shannon, Senior Water Conservation Specialist, Water Supply Planning & Conservation, Valley Water
    • Laws and Landscape: What's New - Linda Vo, Program Manager, California Water Efficiency Partnership
       
  • Full presentation video

View videos and presentation materials from the 2022 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides and Timestamped Videos
    • Brian Boyer - Welcome and Opening Remarks (00:00)
    • Board of Director's Welcome, Director Richard Santos (07:05)
    • State of the Valley's Water, Asst. CEO Melanie Richardson (10:10)
    • Question and Answer Session, Asst. Officer Kirsten Struve (23:12)
    • Valley Water Programs, Senior Water Conservation Specialist Ashley Shannon (30:55)
    • Keynote: Building a Resilient Silicon Valley, Erica Spotswood, Urban Nature Lab (49:13)
    • Poetry Interlude: Lorenz Dumuk (1:13:25)
    • How New State Laws will Impact the Landscape Community: Lisa Cuellar (1:21:20)
    • Introducing the Bloom! Campaign from the California Native Plant Society: Ann-Marie Benz (1:44:10)
    • Ask an Expert: Tips and Tricks for Native Plant Maintenance: Emmanuel Gomez (2:05:39)
    • Summit Wrap and Closing (2:24:28)
       
  • Full Presentation Video

View videos and presentation materials from the 2021 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
    • Welcome from Valley Water Board Director Richard Santos (0:00)
    • State of the Valley's Water by Kirsten Struve (1:22)
    • Our City Forest - Community Nursery and Lawn Busters Program by Gabby Fitts (11:49)
    • Water Conservation Programs by Ashley Shannon (48:38)
    • Smart Yards Education - Building Community through Hands-on Permaculture Education by Liliana Castañeda Rossmann & Elizabeth Sarmiento (1:10:50)
    • Save Our Water and Our Trees by Gabrielle Trudeau (1:43:05)
       
  • Presentation Videos

View videos and presentation materials from the 2020 event:

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
    • Welcome, Dedication, and Water Supply Update
    • Climate Reality - Regeneration of the Landscape: Presentation not available for distribution upon request of the presenters, however the following plan details and resources have been provided by Studio Petrichor as a supplement to the recorded Climate Reality - Regeneration of the Landscape presentation by Shawn Maestretti and Leigh Adams. 
      • Calfire Guideline Specifications for Selecting, Planting, and Early Care of Young Trees 
      • Tree Crown Observation and Correction Detail (PDF) (for a DWG file, contact [email protected])
      • Tree Rootball Inspection and Circling Root Correction
    • Climate Positive Design by Kate Lenahan.
       
  • Presentation Videos

View videos and presentation materials from the 2019 event: 

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
     
  • Presentation Videos

2019 Landscape Summit Speakers

The ReScape California Rated Landscape Program by Sarah Sutton, Landscape Architect and Board President, ReScape California.

Sarah Carolyn Sutton is a licensed Landscape Architect with over 35 years’ experience in sustainable landscape design and construction, from public parks, commercial development, and streetscapes, to open space and riparian corridor restoration. In addition, she is an active ReScape Rater and has been closely involved in the development and implementation of the Rating system and guidelines for over 10 years. Sarah is also the author of The New American Front Yard: Kiss Your Grass Goodbye!, an award-winning and well-illustrated guide to transforming lawn-centric front yards and communities to beautiful, eco-friendly, low maintenance gardens that conserve water, protect our watersheds, and enhance habitat values.

Maintenance and Design of Bioretention and Other Green Stormwater Infrastructure by Nicholas Ajluni, Senior Environmental Inspector, City of San Jose.

Nick Ajluni has worked for the City of San Jose Environmental Services Department for 8 years in various positions related to water resources management. Over the last 4 years, Nick has developed the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Operations and Maintenance Inspection Program for the City of San Jose. Nick holds both a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University, as well as certifications as a Certified Erosion, Sediment, and Stormwater Inspector (CESSWI), Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) and is a Bay-Friendly Qualified Professional.

Sustainable Landscaping Success Through a Partnership Between Design, Installation, and Maintenance by Jenn Simmons, Operations & Senior Garden Manager, and Amy Palmer, VP Estate Garden Management of Ruskin Gardens

Amy joined her mother in the family business as a landscape design apprentice in 2000. She started the maintenance side of the business in 2001 after seeing so many of her mother’s gardens falling apart from a lack of care. Amy is a licensed landscape contractor, certified irrigation manager, has a B.S. in Physics from UCLA, and is fluent in Spanish. Her background in business systems and software development gives the business a technical edge.

Jenn, is a third-generation, San Jose, CA native. Growing up amongst the orchards of Santa Clara Valley, in a family that loved gardening. Her personal passion was inevitable and cultivated. Jenn enrolled at and graduated from Foothill College in 2013 with an AS in Environmental Horticulture. Jenn began at Ruskin Gardens as an intern in 2011 and is the Operations Manager and Senior Garden Manager. Amongst her talents are designing colorful containers, plant border design, and maintenance, pruning, control of plant pests and disease, managing the crews and expert client communication. With almost 20 years of experience, Jenn has transformed Ruskin Gardens Estate Garden Maintenance with Amy and Debbie for over 6 years.

Design and Maintenance Considerations for Fire-Safe Landscaping by BC Dwight Good, Fire Marshal, City of Morgan Hill.

Dwight Good, a Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal for the City of Morgan Hill, South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District, and CAL Fire Santa Clara Unit jurisdictions has received an AA, BS, and MS degrees and completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Dwight is the Co-Chair of Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Wildland Urban Interface Standards and has published research, including work on Determining ignitability in organic groundcover materials. Dwight Good, a 2016 recipient of the Blue and Gold Award, moved to Morgan Hill two years ago with his wife, a resource specialist in the Gilroy School District, and his daughter and has three lovely grandchildren.

View videos and presentation materials from the 2018 event: 

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
     
  • Video - Short Overview
     
  • Presentation Videos
     
  • Report 

View videos and presentation materials from the 2017 event: 

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
     
  • Report

View videos and presentation materials from the 2016 event: 

  • Agenda
     
  • Slides
     
  • Report

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