July 29, 2016 / Volume 4, Issue 22
APW Academy Readies Teachers
for New School  Year
 New Aqua STEM Units Get Teachers Thinking About Water 
 

It's back to school time! Students will be excited to learn that their teachers have spent the summer of 2016 completing a unique training that prepares educators to bring water teaching into the classroom. At the newly crafted Systems Thinking STEM Academy, teachers prepared to bring water into their classrooms while integrating science, technology, engineering and math into their curricula. Arizona Project WET (APW) created three Aqua STEM units for the Academy that guide students and teachers through lessons about rainwater harvesting, riparian ecosystems, and water audits while thinking from multidiscipline STEM perspectives. The units contain elements of Systems Thinking that encourage students to think about their own thinking. Aqua STEM students will end their school year with skills and ideas that can change the world.

Find more about APW Teacher Academies here
EVENTS

Photo credit: Doug Von Gausig Critical Eye  photo 2013 2
Talking Water Webinar: Adjudication Issues and Groundwater Management in Arizona 
August 3, 2016

Time:  12:00  - 1:00 p.m.

The Arizona Western Rivers Action Water Network is organizing "Talking Water", a series of summer webinars. The next webinar in the series is "Adjudication issues and groundwater management in Arizona" by Sarah Porter, Executive Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy. Following the August 3 webinar, there will be a Q&A session with Kathleen Ferris, Senior Research Fellow, ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

You must register in advance to attend the webinar. To register, click here  

NEWS
"Growing with Water" Photo Contest

Photographers of all skill levels are encouraged to use their imaginations to capture the theme of "Growing with Water".
Submissions can be in either urban or rural Arizona settings... flowers to farms, backyard and community gardens to vast agricultural fields, urban landscapes to mountain hideaways, it's up to you! Get creative with interesting photo perspectives, unique detail shots, fascinating vistas, and people in action.
 
The winning photographs will be featured in the Arizona Water Resource newsletter and at the 2017 WRRC Annual Conference. The winners will also be recognized at the February 2017 Chocolate Fest.
 
For more information about the photo contest click here

"Water" Photo Exhibit Showing at Phoenix Art Museum

In mid-July, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal viewed the Phoenix Art Museum's Special Exhibit of water photos by Canadian photographer, Edward Burtynsky. Burtynsky spent six years assembling photos from around the globe. As explained in the short film included with the exhibit, at the locations, which include Arizona, he used innovative approaches to capture the subject matter. The photos visually document water and how it is used and consumed. As explained by the museum, his images explore our relationship as humans with this essential resource. The exhibit is divided into topics that show how people have affected water through industry, providing energy for food, religious, aesthetic, and entertainment purposes. "I highly recommend a stop to view this unique collection of meaningful and beautiful photos," said Dr. Megdal. The exhibit is on display now through September 18, 2016  at the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. 

Additional information can be found on their website

Photo credit:  Edward Burtynsky, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation / Scottsdale, Arizona, USA,  2011. Digital chromogenic print. Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Metivier Gallery, Toronto / Von Lintel Gallery, Los Angeles.
 
Win a Scholarship to WaterSmart Innovations!

The world's preeminent urban water efficiency conference and expo is in our backyard. If you are an Arizona water conservation or sustainability professional and you haven't yet attended a WaterSmart Innovations Conference, now is your chance!
 
Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) will award a "first-timer" scholarship to the 2016 WaterSmart Innovations Conference & Expo, October 5-7 in Las Vegas, to an Arizona water conservation or sustainability professional. Application deadline: August 24, 2016. 
 
For details and to apply, visit the AMWUA website here 
 
Improved Understanding and Use of Climate and Hydrological Data with the Water Resources Dashboard

A Water Resources Dashboard has been developed by the American Planning Association, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Water Environment Federation, Water Environment and Reuse Foundation, and the Water Resource Foundation. The dashboard serves   as a hub for accessing water-relevant data sets and maps. The Water Resources Dashboard is a feature of the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, which provides frameworks and tools to understand and address climate issues.

A learning series of webcasts has been created to highlight specific data sets for water resource managers, city planners, and the general public. The next webinar in the series, "U.S. Precipitation Outlooks and U.S. Hazard Outlooks," will take place on August 10, 2016 at 1 p.m. EST.
 
Register here to attend the next webinar

Learn more about the Water Resources Dashboard here   
 
Call for Papers and Posters

Call for abstracts for the 2016 Western Coalition of Arid States Fall Conference - October 26-28 - Phoenix, AZ.
Please submit your abstracts in a Word document to [email protected] by August 5, 2016.  
 
Call for papers and poster presentations for the World Water Congress XVI that will take place in Cancun, Mexico on May 29 - June 2, 2017. Deadline for submissions is September 1, 2016.
Click here for more information.
 
Call for poster abstracts for the Research Insights in Semi-arid Ecosystems conference at the University of Arizona, October 8, 2016. The deadline for abstracts is September 22, 2016. 
To register click here

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) -  A unit of the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Arizona Cooperative Extension - promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, community outreach and engagement, and public education.