November 9, 2018 / Volume 6, Issue 31

In this issue:  Beer / Public Policy Compendium /  APWCommunity Gardens /  Peoria
Arizona Legislators Speak at
2019 WRRC Conference
The February 1st WRRC annual conference, "Arizona Runs on Water: Scarcity, Challenges, and Community-based Solutions ," will feature an Arizona Legislators Panel including Senators Gail Griffin and Lisa Otondo, Representatives Rosanna Gabaldón and House Speaker, Russell (Rusty) Bowers. Moderated by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, the panel discussion will reflect on the day's presentations and the water issues and decisions facing Arizona. Our goal is to further the statewide conversation on water resource opportunities and constraints. By holding the conference early in the legislative session on a Friday in Phoenix, we hope to attract a number of legislators. The conference will be held at the Black Canyon Conference Center, 9440 N 25th Ave., only 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix. Register and join the conversation about how Arizona communities will ensure that they have sufficient water to meet their future needs. 
    
Register by December 21st to get the Early Bird Rate. See the full agenda here 
WRRC EVENTS
November 14, 2018
 
Speaker:   Greg Barron-Gafford, Associate Professor and Associate Director, School of Geography and Development
 
 
Food, energy, and water systems, especially in drylands, are vulnerable to projected changes in climate - primarily changes in the timing and amount of precipitation and rising air temperatures. For the most part, we grow non-dryland adapted food within a dryland climate through a reliance on irrigation, and the water resource requirements are large and increasing. At the same time, renewable energy in drylands is vulnerable to the same warming trends that threaten food systems. The abundance of sunlight in the southwest US constitutes a significant solar energy resource. We have been studying the novel solution of co-locating agriculture and photovoltaics - agrivoltaics - as an untapped opportunity to simultaneously increase food and energy production while reducing water use.
 
If you cannot get to the WRRC on November 14, you can join us here
WRRC NEWS
beerHow Beer Can Save Rivers - WRRC Brown Bag Seminar 
 
At this week's WRRC Brown Bag Seminar, Chase Saraiva from Arizona Wilderness Brewing (AWB) Company, spoke about the role of water in a brewery operation and the many ways that AWB is collaborating with others to conserve water. He discussed the various roles of water in the brewing process including soaking barley, boiling, cooling, and equipment cleaning. AWB's environmental ethic and belief in stimulating the local economy is also the reason that they forage for ingredients such as berries, sycamore, juniper, bark, and prickly pear and work with local farmers to buy citrus, sweet potatoes, and peanuts that are incorporated into their beers. AWB's connection to water goes beyond the brewing process. For example, they participated in the Arizona Pure Water Brew Challenge and used that opportunity to educate clientele and improve the public perception of reuse water. When looking at the broader picture of water for environmental flows, they worked with farmers to include barley fields in their crop rotation. Barley has the advantage of growing during cool months when local rivers are full, making it an ideal substitute for crops that are water intensive during dry periods when rivers are water stressed.

compendiumNewly Available Compendium of Water Policy Columns 
   
With the final publication of WRRC's quarterly newsletter, Arizona Water Resource, we are happy to announce a newly published, comprehensive compendium of  Public Policy Review columns by Director Sharon B. Megdal titled, Reflections on Water Policy: Collected Columns from Arizona Water Resource , 2002-2018. Beginning in February, 2002, Dr. Megdal wrote and contributed 75 contemporary, thought-provoking columns covering a broad range of water policy issues including water pricing and conservation, groundwater invisibility, transboundary aquifer management, federal water lawmaking, complexities of desalination, groundbreaking international solutions to water challenges in arid regions, and many others. These columns are not only enriching and entertaining, but also topically relevant to today's water issues. We thank Dr. Megdal for her reliably captivating contributions to the Arizona Water Resource, and invite you to read all of her columns digitally published on the WRRC website. 
 
APWCommunities to Build Resilience
 
It takes many individuals acting together to build community resilience in Tucson. One such action was the recent installation of a rain garden at Sierra 2-8 school as part of the NOAA-sponsored Recharge the Rain (RtR) Project developed by AZ Project WET and Watershed Management Group. RtR teacher Amanda Harakal worked with her 6th grade students to design a rainwater harvesting system. Rain from the school roof sinks into the basins growing plants to provide shade and a habitat for pollinators. Students, parents, staff, and AmeriCorps members from Pinal County and Tucson spent a Saturday morning laying rock, digging, planting, and distributing mulch for the new garden. Together we created a new shady learning space for students that will help in reducing street flooding. It couldn't have been accomplished without a wonderful community of volunteers.
gardensTucson Water Now Offering Lower Rates to Community Gardens
 
If you represent or belong to a community garden in the City of Tucson, you may be interested in the City of Tucson Water department's new pilot program offering assistance to qualifying community gardens within city limits. The program provides a more affordable water rate to support local community agriculture for gardens with a designated irrigation meter providing water to the garden alone. Furthermore, the program provides financing assistance to install a dedicated irrigation meter and backflow device for gardens that do not currently have a separate meter. Tucson Water staff is on hand to provide assistance to applicants to help them make the best decision for their community garden.       
 
More Information       
Download Application        
peoriaCity of Peoria Adopts Indirect Potable Recharge

At their October 2nd City Council meeting, The City of Peoria gave the go-ahead for a major indirect potable reuse project. They intend to develop new recharge wells to inject treated effluent from the Butler Water Reclamation Facility at a rate of approximately one million gallons per day. The recharged water will be withdrawn at a later date for potable uses. Recharging Peoria's groundwater aquifers is a key priority of the City to support a sustainable water supply into the future. The total cost for the project is about $2.25 million.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS