March 22 is World Water Day, so designated by the United Nations in 1993. It is observed annually, here in Arizona and throughout the world, by stakeholders who gather to learn about, honor, and celebrate water. This year’s theme, Groundwater, making the invisible visible, focused attention on this hidden yet critical source of freshwater. In Tucson, the WRRC participated in a World Water Day Teach-In hosted by Pima County District 5 and Supervisor Adelita Grijalva. WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal provided pre-recorded comments to set the stage for the event. WRRC research program officer Susanna Eden gave a presentation on Pima County’s drought-related water challenges and shared recommendations on what individuals and policymakers can do to mitigate drought impacts. Tucson Assistant City Manager Tim Thomure followed with a presentation on the Santa Cruz Heritage Project and its remarkable effects on community well-being, including riparian habitat restoration, groundwater recharge, economic attractiveness, and appreciation of our cultural heritage. Director Megdal was unable to attend the Teach-In, as she was celebrating World Water Day in Dubai, UAE, where she delivered a keynote speech on Managed Aquifer Recharge. Part II of Director Megdal’s Reflections on World Water Day will be published next week. 

Date: March 29, 2022

Time: 12:00 pm-1:15 pm Arizona Time

Location: Webinar Only

Jennifer Gimbel, Interim Director and Senior Water Policy Scholar, Colorado Water Center

Steve Wolff, General Manager, Southwestern Water Conservation District

Jim Lochhead, CEO/Manager, Denver Water

Date: April 7, 2022

Time: 12:00 pm-1:15 pm Arizona Time

Location: Webinar Only

Sophia Borgias, Assistant Professor, School of Public Service, Boise State University

This presentation offers a critical reassessment of the emblematic water conflict over the Los Angeles Aqueduct, one of the first large inter-basin water transfers in the American West. Based on three years of in-depth archival, ethnographic, and collaborative research, it examines how public, private, and Tribal interests have been weighed in decision-making about this water transfer over the course of more than a century of social, regulatory, and environmental change. In particular, it addresses gaps in previous histories of the Los Angeles Aqueduct by detailing the consequences it had for Indigenous land and water rights and demonstrating how that history continues to shape water conflicts in the region to this day.

Apr 6: Udall Center Workshop: State of the Art in Green Infrastructure Research & Practice: Reframing Stormwater from a Hazard to a Resource in Tucson, Arizona

Apr 11: Native Voices in STEM Spring 2022 Seminar Series: Environmental Justice; Tommy Rock, PhD in Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University

Apr 19: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: Civil Society in the Binational Agreements of the Colorado River: Advocacy Meets Shuttle Diplomacy; Carlos A. de la Parra, Chair of the Board, Restauremos el Colorado, AC

Apr 27: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: Sharon Nappier, National Program Leader for Water Reuse, US Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Water

May 3: Special Event: Counter Mapping; Jim Enote, CEO, Colorado Plateau Foundation

Jul 12-15: WRRC 2022 Annual Conference: Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability

On March 16, Arizona Humanities hosted Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan for Caretakers of the Land: A Story of Farming and Community in San Xavier, a presentation as part of the ongoing Climate Conversations series. Jacelle is Tohono O’odham and a doctoral candidate in American Indian Studies with a minor in Journalism at the University of Arizona, where her research focuses on the history of land and water in the San Xavier District. The presentation began with a brief account of the Huhugam and Sobaipuri Indians to contextualize “how things once were” and to better understand how community actions have responded to external efforts to shape Tohono O’odham livelihoods. From the General Allotment Act of 1887 and the Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlements Act of 1986 to the creation of the San Xavier Cooperative Farm and proposed land development in the 1970’s and 80’s, the presentation is an oral history that dives deep into accounts of water and land decisions in southern Arizona. It provides an intimate perspective of lived experience and an understanding of how these events have been felt across generations. Her stories were an enlightening part of an ongoing conversation to explore environmental issues through the lens of history and human experience.

A revised and updated version of the WRRC’s March 8, 2021 Brown Bag, presented by Brian McGreal and Susanna Eden, authors of the Arroyo on the same topic, was part of the “MCESD Virtual Training Spring 2022” program held, coincidentally, on World Water Day. The MCESD, Maricopa County Environmental Services Department, “ensures a safe and healthy Maricopa County through restaurant inspections, monitoring of drinking water, waste disposal, swimming pool inspections, and vector-borne disease control.” The invitation to present on the topic of groundwater management in Arizona was one of many similar invitations received by the WRRC, its director, and staff every year. The WRRC regards these invitations as valued opportunities to engage different segments of the community in learning about water. While Director Sharon B. Megdal was participating in an international water conference in Dubai, Eden and McGreal were sharing information on the past, present, and future of the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act to 97 webinar participants.

March 8, 2021 Brown Bag

2021 Arroyo

Due to ongoing drought conditions and a particularly dry winter season in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Lake Powell has dropped below 3,525 feet for the first time since the reservoir was first filled in the 60s. Although spring runoff is expected to temporarily reverse the decline, officials are concerned about what this means for the lake’s long-term reliability as a supply of water and hydropower to the desert southwest. The Bureau of Reclamation published a press release on March 4, which explains the significance of the 3,525-foot benchmark. An elevation of 3,490 feet is considered the “minimum power pool” elevation – the lowest point at which there is enough water for Glen Canyon Dam’s turbines to safely generate power. The difference between the two elevations is a buffer of 35 feet, giving officials time to take action and prevent water levels from dropping below the minimum power pool. Past protective actions have included releasing water from Blue Mesa and Flaming Gorge reservoirs upstream and temporarily reducing monthly releases from Lake Powell. As climate change continues to impact annual precipitation and average temperature, states that rely on the Colorado River for water and hydropower will need to stay vigilant and proactive to protect critical elevations at Lake Powell.

Press Release

A new online resource recently launched, making Upper San Pedro Basin water data easily available to everyone. The San Pedro River is a source of life in the desert. Though it often appears to be only a trickle, its water – both above and below ground – is vitally important to the surrounding communities and riparian ecosystems. The San Pedro WHIP, or Web-based Hydrologic Information Portal, provides nearly real-time updates about surface and groundwater levels, river flow, spring water quality, and other “sustainability indicators.” For now, the data is limited to the US portion of the San Pedro and does not include its headwaters in Sonora. Visitors to the website can learn about water basics, read descriptions of the sustainability indicators, and interact with the main feature – a fully customizable map of the region, with data markers and graphs superimposed. Users can customize the data output by selecting their area of interest on the map, inputting a date range, and choosing which sustainability indicators they wish to learn about. The portal includes a useful ‘Quick Start Guide’ to help users navigate the tool. This project, which has been years in the making, is the result of collaboration between local, state, and federal partners.

San Pedro WHIP 

CORRECTION: The first meeting of the new Recharge & Recovery workgroup (WW 3-18-2022) is Tuesday, April 19.

UArizona Director, Cooperative Extension Job Listing

The University of Arizona seeks a strategic and innovative leader to be the next Director of the UArizona Cooperative Extension System (CES).

Please visit WRRC's website for a complete listing of water jobs & opportunities.