We are pleased to announce that Rebecca Guo has joined our staff as a Water Agency Resources Engineer. Rebecca will oversee a variety of water resource projects and programs for the Agency, including ongoing support and coordination of the Upper American River Watershed Program and recovery and rebuilding efforts related to the Caldor Fire and recent storm events, among others.

Prior to joining the Agency, Rebecca was a principal water resources engineer with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. for nearly 15 years. She has supported the Agency since 2016 on various projects, including planning for stormwater resources, drought contingency plans, water resilience for small water systems, watershed management, Caldor Fire recovery, and grant applications for the Agency. She has also assisted the Agency with facilitating various stakeholder meetings and forums to promote integrated water management and collaborative implementation of the Water Resources Development and Management Plan to achieve long-term water resilience and economic prosperity in El Dorado County.

In addition to her work in El Dorado County, Rebecca has conducted a wide range of appraisal, reconnaissance, and feasibility-level investigations for multi-benefit water resource projects throughout the state.

“Rebecca brings extensive relevant experience and knowledge to the Water Agency, and over the past several years, she has contributed to many of our important programs and projects,” said Ken Payne, Agency General Manager. “She will be an integral member of our team as we continue to advance our critical water resource planning efforts for El Dorado County and the surrounding region.”

Rebecca received her Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University. She is a licensed professional civil engineer in California, a certified ENVISION™ specialist by the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure, and a certified Project Management Professional.



Recognizing that a healthy watershed is essential for protecting water supplies for foothill communities, the Agency is developing a Programmatic Watershed Plan for the upper American River watershed. The plan will identify threats to the watershed and corresponding watershed resource management strategies to address those threats. An integral part of this effort involves convening a broad range of stakeholders to take a holistic view of watershed challenges and ensure coordination of integrated strategies and implementation efforts.

In December 2021, the Agency was awarded a WaterSMART grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to establish an Advisory Group to provide feedback on the direction and content of the Programmatic Watershed Plan. The Advisory Group consists of diverse stakeholders including water and energy utilities, local, state, and federal agencies, tribes, watershed managers, and other interested parties.

“Our collaborative watershed planning approach will help us develop implementable resource management strategies to address the complex challenges our watershed faces and provide long-term benefits to our community and beyond,” said Ken Payne, Agency General Manager.

The Programmatic Watershed Plan is scheduled to be complete by June 2023. Information about the plan and the Advisory Group is available on our website.



Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a lifeline for many communities, including those in El Dorado County. Our county received nearly $37.5 million in ARPA funds of which $5.045 million was allocated to water projects. The county requested that the Agency help solicit project proposals from water purveyors within the county for water related projects, as well as oversee disbursements of ARPA funds to the water purveyors as the projects incur costs. The initial round of disbursements was made in December 2022 for projects that must be completed by December 31, 2026.

“I’m grateful that the Agency is overseeing the distribution of ARPA funds as this federal money is critical to helping our local water agencies invest in essential infrastructure, which will benefit our residents and businesses now and into the future,” said Lori Parlin, Agency Board Chair and El Dorado County Supervisor.

The water projects that received ARPA funding include: