U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, invited to speak by Family Water Alliance CEO Nadine Bailey, right, seeks to reassure farmers and water advocates that he will represent their interests following the passage of Proposition 50, which strategically shifted rural counties into Democrat-leaning area for the 2026 and 2030 election cycles.

COLUSA, CA (MPG) - A who’s who of dignitaries and agriculture advocates from Siskiyou County to the Napa Valley gathered in Colusa on Nov. 11 for Family Water Alliance’s annual fundraiser, an evening of policy, local fare and community investment.

Held at St. Bernadette’s Hall, the event drew several hundred people, including elected officials, water district leaders and longtime supporters of family farming.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, addressed the crowd with a blend of personal history and policy priorities. He acknowledged that California’s mid-cycle Proposition 50 redistricting, which will place Colusa County in its 4th Congressional District for the 2026 and 2030 election cycles, was unpopular in several northern rural counties. Still, he offered reassurance that the region’s agricultural interests would not go unrepresented.

Siskiyou County Supervisor Michael Kobseth, left, joins Butte County Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue and Central Valley Flood Protection Board President Jane Dolan at the Family Water Alliance fundraiser in Colusa on Nov. 8.

“I’m very pro-ag,” Thompson said. “I get it. I do a lot in the ag space.”

A former state senator who once represented Colusa County, Thompson recalled his ties to the area, including a stint as a rice farmer, before California underwent a court-ordered mid-cycle redistricting after the legislature failed to agree on new maps following the 1990 census. He highlighted his work on water infrastructure and conservation policy, including funding for fish screens on the GCID and Red Bluff diversions, and his early appropriation of $10 million for the Sites Reservoir project.

“You can’t farm and you can’t grow stuff without water,” said Thompson, who has a close working relationship with current Congressman Doug LaMalfa, noting the 25% federal tax deduction he helped secure for landowners who commit acreage to conservation, and his co-authoring of legislation aimed at expanding insurance market access for rural homeowners and businesses.

Founded in 1991 by Maxwell residents Sue Sutton, Marion Mathis and Joe Carrancho, Family Water Alliance began as a grassroots response to environmental regulations that threatened farming in Colusa and Glenn counties.

Colusa County Supervisor Daurice Kalfsbeek-Smith, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson attend the Family Water Alliance “Hot Cajun Night” fundraiser at St. Bernadette’s Hall in Colusa on Nov. 8.

Family Water Alliance Chief Executive Officer Nadine Bailey said that over the decades, the organization has grown into a regional coalition advocating private property rights, water access and rural livelihoods, themes echoed throughout the evening’s program.

A broad slate of elected officials and agency leaders attended the fundraiser, underscoring Family Water Alliance’s reach across Northern California’s agricultural and environmental sectors. Bailey welcomed Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, and Heather Hadwick, R-Modoc; Colusa County Supervisor Daurice Kalfsbeek-Smith; Butte County Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue; Central Valley Flood Control Board President Jane Dolan; and Siskiyou County Supervisor Michael Kobseth in recognizing the organization’s decades-long advocacy for rural water access and property rights.

Aguiar-Curry emphasized her farming roots and long-standing collaboration with Northern California water districts. She described her work on AB 59 to expand partnerships with Reclamation District 108 and praised Family Water Alliance for educating lawmakers from urban districts unfamiliar with rural water needs.

 “So many times I have to get my Southern California urban people to understand the importance of water, and they just don’t get it,” she said. “Our healthy environments and strong farms and ranches make vibrant rural communities.”

With plates in hand and purpose in mind, farmers line up as Maxwell FFA students serve supper at the Family Water Alliance fundraiser on Nov. 8.

Hadwick, who represents District 1, the largest geographical district in the state, spoke about the growing threat of apex predators in rural areas, particularly wolves. She described 2025 as the summer of severe livestock losses, including dozens of confirmed kills near homes and schools. Her team secured $2 million in the state budget for direct loss compensation to producers, and she continues to push for federal delisting and revision of California’s wolf management plan.

“Many of my colleagues were unaware this was happening in our state,” Hadwick said. “We continue to fight for rural voices to make sure they’re heard, respected and protected.”

Bailey closed the program by stressing the need to preserve the organization’s institutional memory. She said decades of grassroots advocacy, technical expertise and community partnerships must be documented and passed on. She reaffirmed Family Water Alliance’s commitment to outreach and collaboration, especially through its nationally recognized fish screen program, which has protected agricultural diversions and native fish populations for more than 25 years.

Maxwell High School FFA students served dinner, prepared by Tom and Quinton Indrieri. The evening concluded with a spirited live and silent auction, capping off a night that celebrated both legacy and the future of rural water advocacy.