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Happy Birthday, Aquafornia!

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2008 at 7:27 am

Well, here it is, my blog’s first birthday!

And yes, I actually did buy my blog a birthday cake!Aquafornia has been broadcasting from it’s home base here in Santa Clarita, California for one year as of today, and in honor of this special occasion, I have prepared some birthday presents for you, my readers (see post below).

I’d also like to take a moment to reminisce on what Aquafornia has accomplished over the year, and my plans for the coming year. I also want to say thank you to those who have helped Aquafornia succeed.

2,437 posts later. Wow, that’s a lot. That’s about 204 per month, an average of 6.658 posts per day! One thing is for sure: water news is never really slow here in California.

Well, I couldn’t really do it without acknowledging Google. It is through a combination of Google News alerts, a personalized Google News page, and Google Reader that I can keep on top of what is going on in an almost instantaneous basis. And I’d like to say a special thank you to Tom Chandler over at Trout Underground. Tom was the first real blog to link to me & his support over the year really helped get Aquafornia off the ground.

Bloggers are not often granted the same access as other media sources, and through the year, a few organizations have snubbed Aquafornia. Rather than dwell on those, I want to acknowledge those that have been responsive. A big thank you to Ted & Dale over at the Department of Water Resources, who have always responded to my requests for photos & press releases with lightning speed! Also thank you to Ryan over at the Long Beach Water Department for sending me press releases directly and sending over some photos on my request. Thank you also to Dan Bacher for contributing to Aquafornia directly. Any organization with water-related press releases or other information is invited to submit directly to Aquafornia. Just drop me a line under the “contact me” link and I’ll send you the email address for submissions.

The mission of Aquafornia is to educate readers on California water issues, and to that end, Aquafornia has been successful. Recently, my Water Crisis article and the Delta article were required reading for a course at San Diego State University. The site was also linked as a resource for debate preparation, and I also have a link from Yale Univeristy. A candidate for a position on a water board wrote me, thanking me and telling me the website was invaluable in preparing his campaign.

The website also is developing into a categorized database of news coverage on important issues over the past year. For instance, where else on the Internet can you read articles chronologically on the Wanger Delta smelt decision?

I have also amassed quite a collection of water pictures on flickr. Want to know what a water bank looks like? I’ve got pictures! Aqueducts, dams, irrigation canals, farm fields … there’s a lot of pictures collected there, including simply the best picture possible of the Cascades facility that a regular person like me can take! I was recently notified of the possibility of some of my photos being included in a museum exhibit on California water! Check out the Aquafornia photo library by clicking here, and also see the special feature in the post below.

Aquafornia is your completely independent source for water news information. Aquafornia is not affiliated with any water agency, environmental group, or other organization. Well, except Cub Scouts, but I think you’ll agree that’s a non-issue.

I seek to make Aquafornia a voice for everyone on water issues. I want all sides to have a say here, and I work hard to post everything relevant, even the stories I don’t personally agree with. Am I missing something, some side of the story? If you think I’ve missed something, please feel free to send me a note.

Who reads Aquafornia? Through sitemeter, I actually have a bit of information about you. From picking through my stats, I have found that water agencies, farmers, government organizations, and universities read my blog. Occasionally, someone from the state senate reads, and I have even had a read or two from the Sargeant-At-Arms in Washington D.C. Newspapers sometimes research their stories here. In addition to Southern California, I get reads from the Bay Area, Central Valley, Las Vegas, and Arizona; sometimes even Colorado & New Mexico.

But as far flung as my regular readers are, the surprising thing that my sitemeter shows me is that regular readership makes up a small portion of visits per day. Out of every 100 hits, the average is about 33% of visits directly accessing the site; the remainder are Google searches that are directed here. There are more regular readers during the day; much less at night. This is a good thing, because it is providing a source of information for those looking for current information on water issues. It also bodes well for advertising as a potential source of revenue.

So what’s in my future plans for Aquafornia? The blog is still being worked on, with a custom header on the way. I’ll be making some room for advertising, and will be exploring other possible ways for Aquafornia to earn a little revenue. I’m planning more exclusive stories and special features, including photo tours of the Colorado River water system and Owens Valley Aqueduct. I am hoping to arrange for tours and write up stories about the Edmonston pumps and DWP’s Cascades facility, as well as other major water infrastructure. Over the summer, I hope to write a big piece on the Imperial Valley. And who knows what else I will be inspired to write about. When it comes to California and water, there certainly is no shortage of topics!

A big thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write to me personally with suggestions and thank you’s. I try to answer every one who writes me and wants a response, although sometimes life is so busy, it’s hard to find time to reply sometimes. But I appreciate the support and suggestions of all of you.

And lastly, thanks to the Aqua Family who graciously put up with the enormous amount of time I spend on Aquafornia. Thanks to Aqua Spouse for being my faithful navigator, and to the Aqua Kids, who seem to have accepted the fact that every vacation means a trip to a dam, reservoir, or a canal. (I tell ‘em it’s a shortcut! ha ha)

—Chris Austin, Aqua Blog Maven

April 21, 2008 · Filed Under Website News

Comments

One Response to “Happy Birthday, Aquafornia!”

Tony Bogar on April 22nd, 2008 9:23 am

Congratulations, Aqua man! A colleague here at Friends of the River told me about Aquafornia a few months ago, and I am now hooked. Useful and entertaining — good combo. And thanks for making my water-news-searches easier!

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