There is no more appropriate medium to celebrate the power of water than watercolor painting. Local artist Nancy Pratt applied great artistic skill, as well as research into water uses in the Bay Area, to create a lively painting titled, “A Legacy Painted in Water,” that will hang in Alameda County Water District’s (ACWD) lobby.
On April 23, the water district gave the painting a welcome, and honored Pratt’s work with a commemorative tree planting of a California Redbud in the water-wise native plant garden outside ACWD’s Grimmer Boulevard headquarters. As board members spoke about Pratt’s contribution, a Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly frolicked in the garden behind them, as if nature were lending its approval.
Board Director Aziz Akbari told the story about finding an ACWD pencil he won in the waterclips contest when he was in second grade and held onto. Now for it’s a symbol.
“Sometimes even the most lasting impact comes from the smallest of gestures,” Akbari said. “A classroom visit, a conversation, a message about conserving water—these moments stay with people. They shape how we think, how we act, and how we care for our shared resources.”
Board member Paul Sethy read from a meditation he wrote about Pratt’s work.“The lady paints with a lyrical shimmer,” he wrote. “Watercolors that behave like the very resource we steward, transparent, moving, holding the light of 112 years.”
While Pratt herself was unable to attend the unveiling, she did provide a letter for her husband Bob to read on her behalf.
“Reflecting on the painting and my process, my heart sings,” Pratt wrote. Collaborating with ACWD she studied two history books, went onsite to sketch, and researched topics such as sugar beets, period costumes, local trees and historical pumps to create an accurate portrayal of the area’s water history. The artistic process took many drafts to settle on a final composition.
After an unveiling of the finished art piece, local officials took up shovels to plant a California Redbud tree, a native plant known for its drought tolerance, ability to thrive in harsh environments—and for its striking pink blossoms in spring.
For Akbari, planting a tree is an act of optimism and a commitment to something bigger than ourselves. “Just as this mural represents our past, today’s tree planting represents our future,” he said. “In many ways, this tree is a living symbol of the same legacy that we’re celebrating today. Strong roots, careful stewardship and that lasting impact that extends far beyond a single moment.”
ACWD has served the community for 112 years. That’s long enough for both trees and plans to come to fruition. As Sethy said in the closing lines of his reflection, “We are simply the gardeners tending to the next hundred years.”
