New Powerhouse Science Center Will Educate Visitors On California Water Issues

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Work on the new Powerhouse Science Center is underway and architects released a new rendering of the building Monday.

The museum, which is expected to be complete in 2020, is located along the Sacramento riverfront. Once open, the 50,000 square-foot campus will teach area children and adults through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) projects and exhibits.

SMUD was awarded the naming rights to the new Powerhouse Science Center. Families and businesses can also buy a spot in a permanent exhibit, either on the Periodic Table of Elements ($5,000)- which will be displayed inside the building, or the Human Element Pavers ($1,000)- which will be located at the outdoor entryway of the building.

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A section of the museum will also be dedicated to water, teaching visitors how much water it takes to grow crops, how California farmers lead the world in conservation, and how the state's complicated water storage and delivery system works, said Mike Wade, the executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

The Coalition is the title sponsor for the exhibits and has drawn on several farming organizations, including Farm Credit, to help build and maintain the exhibits.

The water exhibits include:

• The amount of water needed to grow our food and how much of the water used for agriculture is reused to help other consumer needs and the environment.
• How the water storage and distribution system works, including the need to store water in the winter for use in dry summer months and how it is transported to farms and cities.
• And how California farmers are constantly innovating in irrigation and crop development to use less water per pound than other countries with the same general climate and crops.

The Powerhouse Science Center is currently located at 3615 Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento.