May 17, 2019 / Volume 7, Issue 1

The Water Resource Research Center - a research unit of the  College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and an Extension unit in  UA Cooperative Extension  within the Division of Agriculture, Life & Veterinary Sciences & Cooperative Extension
Over the spring 2019 semester, the WRRC connected the UA College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) with people in the Globe-Miami area to develop planning resources. As part of a capstone course, instructed by Professor Arlie Adkins, six graduate Planning students assessed the region and developed a framework to increase economic development opportunities for the rural communities through the lens of environmental stewardship. WRRC Research Analyst, Ashley Hullinger, served on the project advisory committee, helping to arrange stakeholder meetings and providing feedback and background information about the region. The results of the student project were presented at the Second Cobre Valley Forum on Water in April to an enthusiastic reception.  
 
The Planning students also worked with a Landscape Architecture group, instructed by Professor Kelly Cederberg, which will provide recommendations for a regional trail system in a separate report.  The Landscape Architecture project report contains a design proposal for a 9.4-mile multi-use Cobre Valley Rail Trail connecting Miami, Globe, and the Tri-Cities.  


WRRC NEWS
Dr. Fernando González Villarreal and Dr. Sharon B. Megdal Photo Credit University Coordination for Sustainability UNAM
summitWRRC Director Delivers Keynote at International Sustainability Seminar   
 
Sustainability and water security are topics of high relevance throughout North America. On May 7, 2019, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal presented the keynote lecture for the session "Challenges in water governance respecting water security" at the International Seminar: Topics on the Frontier of Sustainability in México City. The seminar was organized at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) by UNAM´s Coordinación Universitaria para la Sustentabilidad, Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional, Colegio de Ingeniería, and Red de Agua, as well as the Regional Centre for Water Security under the auspices of UNESCO and the University of Arizona. The Technical Coordinator of UNAM's Red de Agua (Water Network), Dr. Fernando González Villarreal, hosted the session. Dr. Megdal's keynote lecture, entitled "Challenges and Opportunities to Moving to a New Paradigm of Water Governance," was followed by a panel of experts from UNAM and Mexico City, who spoke on the session topic. Later in the day, a workshop was held on good governance and water security.
     
Each year, we are excited to see so many excellent students graduating and starting off on their academic or professional journeys. Last Friday, Elia Tapia, who has been working at the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) as a Graduate Research Assistant, and most recently as a Senior Research Specialist, received a Ph.D. in Arid Lands Resource Sciences with a minor in Hydrology. Elia has been with us since 2014, working on both the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) and the Water RAPIDS Program. Her research focuses on binational water management strategies in the Colorado River Basin borderlands and she will be defending her thesis later this summer. We are also excited to offer congratulations to Miriam Aleman, who received her B.S. in Environmental Science. Miriam began as a Water Educator with Arizona Project Wet (APW) and in 2017 she was hired as the Instructional Specialist for the APW program. She has been pulling double duty as she finished her degree and held down her job! But that's not all! The WRRC is  proud of all the graduating APW Water Educators who received their Bachelor's degrees from departments across the UA campus this year: Taylor Dew (Environmental and Water Resources Economics); Bethanie Kroll (Biology); Hiram Martinez (Public Health); Zoe Rosenthal (Microbiology); and Meghan Ryterski (Mechanical Engineering).
 
Congratulations Graduates! 


sanpedroThe Type of People that Change the World
 
 
APW's Water Educators facilitate hands-on lessons in classrooms and at Sweetwater Wetlands, guide students in performing water audits, assist in teacher professional development, and engage kids and adults in activities at community events. "Mutually beneficial" describes the relationship between APW and the UA students who become Water Educators while seeking undergraduate degrees. Departing Water Educators say that their experience with APW helped them build confidence, work skills, and knowledge. They gain time-management, collaboration, and organizational skills that employers find so important. On the other side, the Tucson community benefits from their passion and enthusiasm for water education. They all report that their work with APW was important and was an advantageous stepping-stone on their life's journey.
 
So, the end of the year is always a little bittersweet here at APW. We'll miss our Water Educators, but we're happy to see them move on because they are people who will change the world wherever they go.
summerwaveReflections on Spring as a Time for Growth by Sharon B. Megdal 
 
Spring semester is always interesting due to my in-depth interactions with the students taking my graduate course in Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions. Teaching this course provides me with the opportunity to cover some of the hottest water topics. Through my lectures and those by guest experts, along with discussion and in-depth analysis of a paper topic by each of the students, we do a deep water dive in just 15 weeks. What I have always liked about teaching this course is the diversity of students it attracts, with this year being no exception. Students of hydrology, environmental science, water and society, law, and more contributed from their different backgrounds and perspectives. 


meteorPledges Make Tucson a Water Conservation Winner    
 
The City of Tucson won the 8th annual Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation in the population category 300,000-599,999. Participants in 50 states pledged to reduce their water use by 3 billion gallons. They also pledged cut water waste, plastic water bottle use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Other winners were Rexburg, Idaho; Palm Coast, Florida; Athens, Georgia; and Columbus, Ohio. The challenge is a community service campaign by the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world's oceans, waterways, and marine life, and by Toyota.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS