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April 6, 2018 / Volume 6, Issue 14
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2018 WRRC Conference Videos Are Posted
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The Water Resources Research Center's 2018 annual conference, The Business of Water, brought respected and knowledgeable presenters from across the West and beyond to discuss such topics as water transactions, partnerships, and water for the environment and the economy. Keynote speaker, Ian Lyle, Executive Vice President for the National Water Resources Association, provided insights about national-level water funding, legislation, and policies, including the White House's recent infrastructure plan. He also highlighted which bills to watch and commented on the potential implications of the 2018 elections on water funding. This was just one of the many insightful presentations offered throughout the day.
Photo: Lynn Ketchum
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Time/Location:
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. / ENR2, S107 (1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson)
Note special time and location
Speaker:
Felicia Marcus, Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board
For a birds eye view into California's movement toward integrated water management, join us for a special seminar by Felicia Marcus, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board for California. Over the past few years, California has made great strides in the water management and policy arena. Ms. Marcus will offer insights about California's efforts to reach across traditional geographic and organizational silos to create the 2014 California Water Action Plan, which lays out a roadmap for the first five years of the state's journey toward sustainable water. The plan takes an "all of the above" approach and incorporates conservation, recycling, stormwater, desalination, ecosystem protection, and more. Climate change, population growth, and other drivers can be game changers. Ms. Marcus will look toward the future and describe strategies and lessons for getting the best water outcomes possible.
Video will be posted shortly after the presentation.
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Time/Location:
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell Ave.)
Speaker: Chris Castro
, Associate Professor, Hydrology / Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona
In his presentation, Dr. Chris Castro will describe research on the changing occurrence and intensity of monsoon rains. This research focuses on the simulation of severe weather events caused by mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), which account for much of monsoon rainfall in the central and southwestern portions of Arizona, downwind of the Mogollon Rim. Over the past 60 years, there have tended to be a fewer strong, organized MCS-type thunderstorms during the monsoon; however, when they do occur, their associated precipitation tends to be more intense. Central/southwestern Arizona appears to be a local hot spot for increasingly intense precipitation and downdraft winds. Dr. Castro is a UA faculty member in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, where his current research focusses on the understanding and prediction of climate through atmospheric modeling and analysis of observations.
If you can't make
the
seminar on April 17, you can join us
here
.
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Time/Location:
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell Ave.)
Speaker:
Melanie Stansbury, Sr. Advisor and Consultant, Utton Transboundary Resources Center, University of New Mexico
What does water security mean in the 21st century and how do we reconfigure water policy for a more sustainable future? Although drought and water scarcity have driven conflict throughout history, there are increasing efforts across the U.S. to bring a more collaborative and systems-based approach to water governance. This talk examines the current water policy landscape and the ways in which a clash of paradigms is playing out between the legacy systems of the past and the new paradigm solutions of the future. Case studies of several major water policy efforts at the national level--including legislation and regulatory efforts in the current and past Congress--provide a lens for examining how these tensions are reflected in federal policy making. This talk will also explore the frontier of water policy making in the U.S. and what that may look like going forward in a time of great political, social, and hydrologic change.
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Time/Location:
11:00 a.m. - Noon / ENR2, S107 (1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson)
Speaker:
Jim Burling, Esq., Vice President of Litigation and Principal Attorney for Property Rights, Pacific Legal Foundation
Jim Burling has been with Pacific Legal Foundation since 1983 and his cases involve regulatory takings, environmental and land use regulations, eminent domain, and Indian law. In 2001, he successfully argued a leading property rights case, Palazzolo v. Rhode Island, before the United States Supreme Court. He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education courses on topics such as the regulation of wetlands, eminent domain, and the "taking" of private property. In 2013, Mr. Burling was awarded the Crystal Eagle Award by the Owners Counsel of America in recognition of his work on behalf of property rights.
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 Claire Zucker is Named Associate Director of the WRRC
We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Claire Zucker as the Associate Director of the WRRC. Claire comes to her new position with a wealth of water expertise, having been at the WRRC in her position as Program Director of Water, Environment, and Energy Solutions (WEES) since May 2015 and having served as the Director of the Sustainable Environment Program at the Pima Association of Governments prior to joining the WRRC.
As Associate Director, Claire will assist Director Sharon B. Megdal in day-to-day operations of the WRRC, supporting diverse programs focused on sustainable water management within and beyond Arizona. Claire will also continue in her position as WEES Program Director.
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WRRC Summer Writing Internship - Application Due April 16
Applications for the WRRC's summer internship are due on Monday, April 16. Designed for students interested in gaining experience writing about environmental and water issues, the internship is open to enrolled students in good standing at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University. The intern will work on the 2019 Arroyo, the WRRC's annual publication that each year focuses on a different critical Arizona water issue. This year, the topic is the business of water, and the intern will delve into various aspects of water from a business perspective, such as water transactions and markets, infrastructure financing, the relationship of water to economic development, and business contributions to environmental goals. Arroyo is recognized in Arizona and beyond as a reliable source of water information and reaches a wide audience of policy makers and water professionals as well as the interested public.
The application form and instructions are available here. Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 16, 2018. Applications must include a writing sample of 500-1,000 words and a letter of recommendation. Familiarity with principles of economics and water resources is desirable but not required. The intern will work approximately 20 hours per week for 10 weeks between May and August 2018 for a stipend of $3,000. Direct any questions to [email protected] or call 520-621-5670.
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Recharge the Rain with hands-on STEM learning!
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One shovel at a time! If this were an item on Jeopardy, the correct question would be, "How do we build a community more resilient to the effects of climate change, while engaging students in hands-on STEM learning?" Students at Esperero Canyon Middle School and Santa Rita High School recently participated in the installation of rainwater harvesting systems at their schools as part of the Recharge the Rain project, a NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant awarded to
Watershed Management Group and
Arizona Project WET. Students helped design and build rainwater harvesting systems to mitigate flooding and urban heat island effect. Native plants in rain basins will provide shade, attract wildlife and pollinators, and provide an outdoor living laboratory for students. D
uring the schoolyard installations, teachers, students, and parents learn simple rainwater harvesting practices that they can apply at home. One more schoolyard installation is scheduled this Spring, with more school installations planned in the next two years!
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UA Earth Day Water Events
University of Arizona will celebrate Earth Day (April 21), with events all week long, and several of them are related to water! On Friday, April 20th
from 10:30-12:00 at ENR2 Room N595, Dr. Bonnie Colby, Agricultural & Resource Economics, and Gigi Owen, a researcher at Climate Assessment for the Southwest, will present "Evaluating Environmental Water Acquisitions & Regional Climate Services."
On the following Monday, the WRRC is co-sponsoring a screening of the film
Stolen Water
with the Center for Middle East Studies. Director Laila Khan will also participate in a conversation after the screening. The film will be shown at the
Haury Anthropology Building, Room 216, on Monday, April 23rd
at 4:00 pm. Khan's documentary focuses on water theft in Jordan, one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, and the measures that authorities are taking to curb violations. The filmmakers followed authorities from Jordan's Ministry of Water to several police busts, and interviewed people who have been caught stealing water. Come join us for what will surely be a fascinating film and discussion. If these events just
wet
your appetite for more, find out about other UA Earth Day events, lectures, and tours in honor of our Earth
Here.
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A Thousand Pictures of Water...
As part of the "Water Roots" series, the Sky Island Alliance and WRRC request a water photo from you. With your help, we want to create a visual display of the many meanings of water in Arizona
. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your own unique value of water and contribute to a larger vision. S
end us your photo of water and three words to describe how you value water. We will include your photo in a display of water values and invite you to the unveiling event. Submit your water photo and words by May 31.
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