SACRAMENTO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/29/12 -- The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is in peril as population growth, water pollution, climate change and other factors put strain on this vital water source for millions of Californians. The future of the Delta will be one of many big topics Dec. 4-7 when more than 1,600 local and state water leaders meet at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego for the Association of California Water Agencies' 2012 Fall Conference & Exhibition, themed "California Water ... The Next Generation."

Water policy expert Sunne Wright McPeak, president of the Delta Vision Foundation and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, is scheduled to give a keynote during a luncheon program Wednesday, Dec. 5. McPeak, an influential figure among a diverse group of stakeholders charting the course ahead for the Delta, will discuss opportunities and challenges for water projects in the region and the road toward hard-fought consensus.

Related conference sessions on the schedule include a roundtable of local water districts about Delta solutions (Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.); a panel on Delta mitigation featuring Deputy California Natural Resources Secretary Jerry Meral, Delta Protection Commission Executive Director Mike Machado and Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza (Dec. 5 at 1:45 p.m.); and a discussion of the economic benefits and costs of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (Dec. 6, 1:45 p.m.).

The conference will tackle a broad range of issues impacting California's water future: climate change, new leaders at key state agencies, challenges facing the State Water Project, the role of renewable energy, the changing landscape for agricultural water, groundwater recharge, and much more.

Also featured are keynotes from FBI Special Agent in Charge Herbert Brown about public-private efforts to protect water systems' critical infrastructure and information technology (Dec. 6, 11:45 a.m.) and author Morley Winograd, who will share insights about how the Millennial generation is shaping public policy and expectations for government (Dec. 5, 8 a.m.).

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.