Welcome to CalWEP’s 20 Questions, a new way to get to know the CalWEP community. In each edition, we’ll ask a CalWEP member, staff, or other friend of CalWEP 20 questions about water, work, life, and a few things in between.
Next up in the series, CalWEP's Director of Communications, Max McSlavkin. 
1. What’s one thing you wish everyone understood about water in California?
That we are all connected to the beautiful natural places we love to visit through water, and how our daily actions at home make an impact on the rivers and lakes that make CA such a special place to live.
2. Favorite part of your job?
The people.
3. Most underrated water-efficiency measure?
Turning down your sprinkler, even just a little bit.
4. SoCal or NorCal?
I have love in my heart for them all. Grew up in LA, moved to SF, settled in Sac.
5. Mountains or Beach?
Beach
6. CA reservoir?
Ice House Reservoir
7. Where in CA do you most want to visit that you’ve never been to before?
Fort Ross. I love CA history and still can't believe I haven't been there yet.
8. What’s your hottest water take?
I just really hate lawns.
9. If you weren’t working in water, what would you be doing?
Working back in start-up world or playing saxophone but definitely still water-wise gardening.
10. What gives you hope?
That this all works! It's easy to be cycnical these days, especially about government, but the fact that people have built and maintained CA's incredible water system all these years, and that we're continuing to do a better and better conserving it, is a reminder that we really can do big things when we work together.
11. What’s something about California water that still amazes you?
How much we've changed the landscape. I often wonder about what this or that place would have been like before the dams and levees and everything else, and if our home state would even be recognizable.
12. What’s one water habit you wish every Californian would adopt?
Replacing their for-the-most-part-useless front lawns.
13. What’s the most interesting water fact you know?
The oldest tree, the tallest tree, and the biggest tree in the world are all right here in CA (I realize it's more tree than water related but I get to make the rules here).
14. What’s the most CA thing about you?
Growing my own kale.
15. How do you drink your water?
Tap, no ice, no straw. Or brewed into beer.
16. What’s your most used emoji?
I text my wife a lot and our kids are 3 and 1 so it's: 😮💨
17. What would your colleagues say you’re known for?
Playing saxophone at Peer To Peer.
18. A topic you know almost as much about as you do about water efficiency.
CA History (not unrelated to water efficiency!)
19. What’s your favorite shower song?
Again with the small kids so right now it's Let It Go.
20. Anything else we should know about you?
I love iNaturalist and I'm coming up on 400 unique species observations. Gotta catch 'em all.