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April 22, 2022 / Volume 10, Issue 15
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IN THIS ISSUE: Conference Sponsorship, Brown Bag Recap, Sovereign Nations Map, IAH, Groundwater Puzzle Game, New Accountant
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WRRC Invites Your Support: Sponsor Our
2022 Annual Conference
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The 2022 WRRC Conference, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability, is quickly approaching. The conference will begin July 12 with an in-person event that includes livestreaming, followed by several days of virtual programming. This hybrid approach will help reduce barriers to participation in this critical discussion. To facilitate the face-to-face conversations that foster strong and lasting relationships, our goal is to minimize registration fees for all and offer significant discounts to students. Sponsorships make this possible.
Image: Michael Kotutwa Johnson
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WRRC Special Event: Counter Mapping Articulates What is Between
Date: May 2, 2022
Time: 3:00 pm-4:30 pm Arizona Time
Speaker: Jim Enote, CEO, Colorado Plateau Foundation
As a lifelong farmer, land and water practitioner, natural resources manager, and museum director, Jim Enote has thought hard about maps and mapping by challenging how we think about, use, and view maps. Coming to us virtually from his home in Zuni, New Mexico, Jim will talk about his experiences with maps and new approaches to map-making. Counter maps appear from neglected spaces, forgotten peoples, intervals of crisis and rapture, and in the pattern languages of our lives.
Image: Rucha Chitnis
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WRRC Brown Bag: The Role of NGOs in International Colorado River Policy
On Tuesday, the WRRC hosted a Brown Bag Webinar, Civil Society in the Binational Agreements of the Colorado River: Advocacy Meets Shuttle Diplomacy, featuring speaker Carlos de la Parra. In his presentation, de la Parra discussed the role of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in both the US and Mexico and the Treaty on International Waters, which governs water policy between the two countries. De la Parra began his presentation by explaining some of the history of NGOs in Mexico and his own experiences with civil society in the water sector. He explored past, current, and possible future work of NGOs and the impacts that they can have in the agricultural water world. He emphasized the difficulty and importance of engaging with local agricultural communities in places like Mexicali with the goal of improving water efficiency. NGOs have developed enough rapport with local farmers to hold workshops on topics like land fallowing and crop conversion, which will lead to additional water savings that can be returned to the environment for ecological restoration. After his talk, de la Parra engaged in a Q&A with the audience on the role of civil society in border water policy.
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New Reclamation Map Highlights
Sovereign Nations
The United States Bureau of Reclamation has distributed an updated map depicting the full extent of the Colorado River Basin (CRB), from western Wyoming to Sonora, Mexico; and within the basin’s boundaries, all thirty federally recognized Tribal Nations. Titled Federally Recognized Tribes in the Colorado River Basin, this map highlights the inter-governmental nature of water resources management in the CRB. The WRRC, through our Indigenous Water Dialogues Initiative, works to highlight the role of sovereign Tribal Nations in water resources. This map is significant in this work because it, like all maps, tells a story that can have an impact on decision-making. A map’s power to deepen our understanding and expand our curiosity comes not only from what it includes but what is left out. When new choices are made, the story changes. This updated view of the CRB will help tell the evolving story of water in the southwestern United States. The upcoming WRRC Special Event, Counter Mapping Articulates What Is Between (May 2 at 3:00 pm), will delve into the power of maps.
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WRRC Director Megdal Honored at IAH Commission Event
The International Association of Hydrogeologists Commission on Managing Aquifer Recharge (IAH-MAR Commission) held a meeting and plenary session at ISMAR11 on the evening of April 12, 2022. In addition to electing a slate of officers, the session honored individuals who had contributed significantly to the organization’s mission. At the event, conference co-chairs and the IAH President, Prof. David Kreamer, surprised WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal with an IAH Certificate of Appreciation for her contributions to “special issues arising from ISMAR symposia” and for being a “champion in developing MAR policy governance.” The IAH is the international society for the science and practice of hydrogeology, recognized globally as a leading source for awareness and knowledge of groundwater and its sustainable management.
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Online Puzzle Game Educates
About Groundwater
A collaboration between the International Water Resources Association and the University of Massachusetts Amherst produced an online puzzle game that educates players about groundwater. The game is like a digital escape room. The objective is to solve a multi-step puzzle to help the player’s “Aunt Darcy.” It is accessible to anyone; all you need is a computer with internet access and a notepad to keep track of clues. In order to solve the puzzle, players must read through hydrogeologist Aunt Darcy’s books, files, and notes, learning about topics like well drilling, transboundary aquifers, salinity, nitrate leaching, and hydraulic conductivity. While reading, it’s important to keep an eye out for clues, which may be words, numbers, or symbols of special significance. While a few hints are provided to help, the player must find all of the clues to save the day! When put together in the correct order, the clues allow players to solve the puzzle and win the game. This game is designed for those who are unfamiliar with groundwater issues, but also enjoyable for groundwater experts who just want to have some fun!
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WRRC Welcomes New Accountant
The WRRC is pleased to welcome Miranda Sheeley to our staff as a part-time accountant! She is a University of Arizona alumna with nearly eight years of experience working in UArizona’s grant administration. For six years, she worked for Sponsored Projects & Contracting Services assisting in both Pre-Award and Post-Award areas. From there, she managed grants within the College of Engineering’s Harshbarger-Mines Business Center. When not aiding UArizona faculty, you can find her practicing or teaching yoga at multiple Tucson studios. Welcome to the WRRC, Miranda!
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Please visit WRRC's website for a complete listing of water jobs & opportunities.
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Do you have a story idea, water job announcement, or event to share?
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