December 20, 2019 / Volume 7, Issue 33
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
In this issue:    Happy Holidays /  Student Showcase / APW  / CWA 404
Register for the WRRC Conference
at the Early Bird Rate
Registration for the WRRC Annual Conference,  Water at the Crossroads: The Next 40 Years, is open at the special early bird rate of $110, with a student rate of only $50. Thank you to our sponsors for making these low rates possible! Because this year's conference will explore a number of comprehensive water management topics, our conference planning committee thought it would be useful to hold a series of background webinars to refresh our knowledge and found our discussion on a common base of information. The seminars will provide an overview of the Groundwater Management Act, fill us in on the Governor's Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council with an emphasis on the Desalination Committee, and offer updates about CAP-connected management efforts, including the Drought Contingency Plan, water recovery and wheeling, and the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. Keep your eye out for more information on these webinars after the winter break. 
WRRC EVENTS 
Water-Energy Interface in the Context of Air Conditioning and Some History of Electricity Generation

January 22, 2020
 
Speaker: Henry Johnstone, PE,  President of GLHN Architects & Engineers, Inc.
 

The dynamic relationship between water and energy has become a national topic in recent years and is of particular interest to those in Arizona, where projections of water scarcity and changes in electrical generation are frequently reported in the media. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the sources and sinks of energy and water in Arizona and then focus on their interaction at campus or municipal district scale.

Save the Date - Chocolate Fest February 13
WRRC NEWS
happy_holidaysHappy Holidays from the WRRC

As 2019 comes to a close, we at the Water Resources Research Center want to wish you a wonderful and joyful holiday! The University of Arizona closes for the winter break, so our offices will be closed next week. We will re-open on Thursday, January 2, 2020 .   As you enjoy all those delightful holiday treats, take note of the best chocolate ones, because we hope you will join us on Thursday, February 13th , for our annual Chocolate Fest (save the date)!   

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE

student_showcaseWRRC Water RAPIDS Poster Presented at Graduate Student Showcase
 
Mary Belle Cruz Ayala, Ph.D. Candidate in Arid Lands Resource Sciences, took part in the 2019 Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs Student Research Showcase on December 3, 2019, at the UArizona. Mary Belle presented a research poster entitled "Globe-Miami Watershed Planning: Using Community Building to Determine and Fill Gaps in Local Water Knowledge," based on her work with WRRC Water RAPIDS program and Research Analyst Ashley Hullinger. The poster outlined previous phases of research and engagement activities in the Cobre Valley, focusing on the development of a framework grounded in stakeholder-driven priorities to improve the accuracy of water supply and demand estimates for the region. Building on the foundational activities described in the poster, the Water RAPIDS team is currently working to demonstrate the importance of ecosystem services to the community health and economic vitality of Cobre Valley.

apw2Water Educators Engineer with Creativity

 
The end of the semester brings final exams, tired students, and... gingerbread houses! Arizona Project WET's Water Educators are UArizona students, and like all students, are much in need of a break about the middle of December. This year, the APW team hosted a Gingerbread Engineering Party for the Water Educators. We supplied the graham crackers, icing, candy and cookie decorations, and the educators supplied the creativity! The cross-cutting concept of Structure and Function was put to use in creative ways during a fun and relaxing holiday celebration. You might note the biodegradable pony beads (bottom left and right). These beads were made from uncooked noodles for the incredible journey water cycle lesson at the Sweetwater Wetlands to replace the plastic beads we had been using! The Arizona Project WET program improves every year thanks to our creative students. The APW team wishes all students a happy, healthy, and restful winter break.
   
APW
adeqADEQ Will Not Assume CWA 404 Permitting Program

Input from the stakeholder meetings, work groups, and public comments invited by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) convinced the agency to retain the current process for permitting Clean Water Act Section 404 activities. This means that the federal government will retain primacy over the program that regulates construction in wetlands and stream beds. ADEQ's stakeholder process was extensive, taking just over one year and involving close to 500 people. The US Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency will continue to  share authority for permitting decisions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS