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September 27, 2019 / Volume 7, Issue 22
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UA Honored for Achievements
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Water Resources
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On Saturday, September 21, Arizona Forward held its Annual Environmental Excellence Awards gala. Water was a theme throughout the evening, with major awards for the Gila River Indian Community's Managed Aquifer Recharge MAR 5 & Gila River Interpretive Trail project, Scottsdale Water, and the Drought Contingency Plan. Each of the three state universities received a sustainability award. The University of Arizona was recognized for its global leadership in water resources. In addition to citing the more than 280 faculty and researchers who specialize in water-related research, the announcement of the UA award referred specifically to the Water Resources Research Center with its focus on partnerships and engagement on real-world water issues. WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal accepted the award on behalf of UA President Robert C. Robbins. Arizona Forward is a 200-member association that fosters dialogue among business, community, and civic leaders toward a balance of economic development and environmental quality.
Photo courtesy of Arizona Forward.
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WRRC Brown Bag -
An Update on the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project
October 8, 2019
Speakers:
Maya Teyechea, Project Hydrologist and
Dick Thompson, Lead Recharge Hydrologist,
Tucson Water
Time/Location: 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m., WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Rm., 350 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson.
The Santa Cruz River Heritage Project recharges reclaimed water and establishes a riparian area in downtown Tucson. This presentation will present how Tucson Water planned, permitted and executed the project and its current operation. The presentation includes observations made so far as well as some future expectations.
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Upcoming Brown Bags
- October 16, Channah Rock, Professor, UA/ENVS, "Food Borne Disease Outbreaks"
- October 23, Itzchak E. Kornfeld, Professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, "Environmental Law"
- October 28, Eran Feitelson, Professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem "Will Desalination Resolve the Israeli-Arab Water Conflicts? And if not, why?" (Special Time/Location)
- November 8, Haley Paul, Policy Manager, Audubon Arizona, "The Economic Impact of Arizona's Rivers, Lakes, and Streams"
- November 19, Betsy Wilkening, Ladd Keith, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, UA/APW and CAPLA, "Heat Mapping"
- December 4, Laura Condon, Assistant Professor, UA/HAS, "Effects of Groundwater Pumping"
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Arizona Runs on Water - Water 101
October 17, 2019
Time/Location: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85040 (Palo Verde Room)
- Where does your water come from and how is it used?
- How is it managed?
- What about agriculture and landscaping - what is their water story?
Learn about and discuss these issues at the Arizona Runs on Water Cooperative Extension Education Series.
Water 101 is the first in the series, which also includes separate evening sessions on Water for Agriculture and Water for Turf/Landscape. Light refreshments will be served and youth education activities with Arizona Project WET will be available in the adjacent room (6 or older, please.) Seating is limited; reserve your spot today.
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HAS-LAW Colloquium Series - Special Master, General Stream Adjudication
October 17, 2019
Speaker: Hon. Susan Ward Harris
Time/Location: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Haury Lector Hall, Rm. S107, ENR2, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson.
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 WRRC Invites Student Research Proposals
Students at any of Arizona's three public universities are invited to submit research proposals to the WRRC for grants of up to $10,000. Proposals should explore new ideas to address water problems in Arizona and the Southwest, and expand understanding of water and related phenomena. Last year the WRRC funded three projects that investigated aquifer monitoring by citizen scientists, satellite detection of Tamarisk phenology, and water purification by solar nanofiltration. Grants are funded through the U.S. Geological Survey under the federal Water Resources Research Act, which authorizes funding for the state Water Resources Research Institutes. Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
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WRRC Presents at Geological Society of America Annual Meeting
The WRRC was well-represented at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America held this past week in Phoenix, Arizona. WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, Research Analyst Jacob Petersen-Perlman, and Senior Research Specialist Elia Tapia all presented at a session on the hydrology and related societal and environmental issues of the Upper Santa Cruz River Basin. Megdal addressed the institutional setting for binational groundwater assessment in the upper Santa Cruz while Petersen-Perlman spoke about the institutional frameworks for effluent water use in the Ambos Nogales region of Arizona and Sonora. Tapia described the impacts of variable climate and effluent flow on the transboundary Santa Cruz Aquifer. The session also featured several presentations given by Arizona water professionals from the USGS, US Bureau of Reclamation, Sonoran Institute, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
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Photo Courtesy of Scottsdale Independent |
Scottsdale Water Issued DPR Permit
Scottsdale Water's Advanced Water Treatment Plant became Arizona's first permanent water treatment facility permitted to treat recycled water for direct potable reuse. This permit establishes a model for other cities in Arizona and around the world to begin working towards reusing their water resources for future long-term water sustainability. The plant has been recharging ultra-pure water into the drinking water aquifer for over 20 years. It was not until 2018 that the regulatory prohibition in Arizona was removed, allowing Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to permit water systems for direct potable reuse. On November 8 and 9, Scottsdale Water and Canal Convergence will team up to host the world's first beer festival featuring only craft beers brewed with recycled water. Thee beer festival is seen as a first step moving public perception about drinking recycled water.
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NEW WRRC-Reclamation Cooperative Agreement to Support Watershed Resilience in the Cobre Valley
After four years of working in the Globe-Miami area, the WRRC is excited to begin next phase of collaboration in the Cobre Valley through a new cooperative agreement with the US Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with Gila County Cooperative Extension. Over the next two years, the WRRC's Water RAPIDS team will build scenarios and conduct an evaluation of ecosystem services to support community planning and watershed resilience. The WRRC will also work with the new Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership which provides a platform to support informed local decision-making. Carrying on our strong commitment to engaging Arizonans in water decisions, these activities will be coordinated through an iterative stakeholder engagement process with products that will be publicly accessible through newsletters, working group meetings, and an annual public forum.
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