Enter your Arizona water photos in the WRRC 2022 Photo Contest. The theme this year is Water Now! Living with Less. Drought and shortage are on everyone’s minds, but so are monsoon rains and desert oases. Technologies—modern and ancient—will be part of our water future, along with new visions of life amid the wonders of Arizona. As in the past, photos must be taken in Arizona* and must feature water (present or absent). Categories include Water in Nature, Water in the Built Environment, and Water for Us (animals, livelihoods, and recreation) with a special category of Water in Arid/Semi-Arid Lands Beyond Arizona for photographers who travel beyond our borders. Feel free to use the contest theme, Water Now! Living with Less, to fuel your imagination. So, get your cameras and go—We look forward to seeing your amazing photos!

WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: Arizona Project WET's Groundwater Videos in the Making

Date: Sep 22, 2022

Time: 12:00 pm–1:15 pm Arizona Time

Location: Webinar Only

Holly Thomas-Hilburn, Director, Arizona Project WET

Kevin Sirois, Design Director, Esser Design

Arizona Project WET has been teaching about the groundwater system for over two decades using everything from two-dimensional drawings to tubs of earth materials and the ever-popular sand tank groundwater model. Helping students to understand this critical unseen system is no easy task. With the support of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, APW partnered with Esser Design to develop a series of nine videos about the groundwater system. In the process, we encountered a variety of challenges and interesting questions on the best way to communicate about the groundwater system. In this brown bag, we'll share some of those questions, hear stories from the field, and show some of the groundwater videos.

Sep 28: Native Voices in STEM Fall 2022 Seminar Series: Featuring Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie (Diné) – Save the Date

Oct 13: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: The Water Recycling Revolution: History and Lessons from Four Western States

Oct 20: WRRC Special Event: Thirst for Justice – Save the Date

Oct 26: Native Voices in STEM Fall 2022 Seminar Series: Groundwater to Snow Science: My Research and Teaching Path to Becoming a "Jack(lyn)- Of-All-Trades

Nov 10: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: 104(b) Grant Program: Student Research Presentations – Save the Date

Nov 18: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: Watershed Collaboration in the Tucson Basin: Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative Adopts a Watershed Restoration Plan to Promote Flowing Rivers – Save the Date

Nov 30: Native Voices in STEM Fall 2022 Seminar Series: Featuring Dr. Raymond Torres – Save the Date

Sep 19-20: CLE 10^th Annual Tribal Water Law Conference: Water Security on the Path to Resiliency

Last week, WRRC staff member Jessie Hampton visited family in rural southwestern Colorado. She stayed along Cebolla Creek, which flows down to meet the Gunnison River in Blue Mesa Reservoir, one of three reservoirs that make up the Curecanti Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project. Local ranchers use their water rights on Cebolla Creek to irrigate hay meadows. Jessie took photos of places she visited on her trip to showcase different types of water usage and management in the area.

On September 12, the WRRC invited the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Program Leader for Water Reuse, Dr. Sharon Nappier, to present an overview of the Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) and provide a demonstration of the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer (RESUSExplorer) tool. Nappier introduced the barriers to water reuse, including funding, technology, policy, and organizational capacity, as well as strategies in place to overcome such obstacles with the help of interagency partnerships. WRAP was founded by federal, state, Tribal, local, and water sector partners, and as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the US EPA and other federal organizations actively collaborate with WRAP to develop, coordinate, and provide resources to promote national water reuse and sustainable management practices. Compromising of 116 organizations and 56 collaborative projects, WRAP targets 11 multidisciplinary aspects of water reuse, including policy coordination, science and specifications, water information availability, watershed action, workforce development, research, and funding. The EPA WRAP extension has resulted in funding opportunities for reuse infrastructure, research, and permitting projects as well as providing a platform for awareness and capacity-building through newsletters, webinars, training, publications, and the RESUSExplorer tool. The REUSExplorer serves as an up-to-date, online platform featuring compilations of fit-for-purpose specifications by state, water quality metrics, state-specific water source and end-use glossaries, and current and/or upcoming state laws and policies. It is a tool for stakeholders with various backgrounds such as state regulators, permit writers, engineers, technology companies, researchers, and policymakers to stay informed and encouraged about water reuse advancement to improve the security, sustainability, and resilience of the nation’s water resources.

The Arizona Republic newspaper last Sunday drew on a recent report about plumbing poverty for a feature article on the subject. The report, co-authored by Kings College London professor and UArizona alum Katie Meehan, looked in depth at urban plumbing poverty in the United States. Meehan received her PhD from the UArizona Department of Geography and Development in 2010 and began her study of plumbing poverty while in Arizona. The Kings College London report estimated that throughout metro Phoenix, at least 6,200 households live with incomplete plumbing, meaning they lack hot and cold running water, an indoor shower or bathtub, a flush toilet, or some combination. Another report from January, cited in the article, found more than 9,000 homeless people in Maricopa County, many of whom lack regular access to running water and sanitation. Lack of access to running water, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is an ongoing problem in other parts of Arizona as well. A previous Weekly Wave story highlights efforts to provide safe water to vulnerable residents in the Navajo Nation.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently released a new factsheet on flood forecasting. Spurred by the wildfires in New Mexico this summer, the document summarizes the frequency and types of stream data USGS collects to monitor water flow, allowing them to issue flood warnings when necessary. It is available in both English and Spanish. In addition to the digital factsheet PDF, the New Mexico Water Science Center will be printing and distributing hard copies. A similar factsheet on debris flows is in development and will be available soon.

On September 9, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) issued an Order of Adoption of a management plan for the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) for its fifth management period, 2020 to 2025. It will be finalized on October 9, 2022, and any motions for rehearing or review must be filed prior to this date. The Order of Adoption, the management plan, and additional information about the Phoenix AMA and other AMAs throughout Arizona can be accessed from the ADWR website.

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

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) has released a brief video overview of Colorado River Tier 2a shortages for 2023. Watch Here

The Water Desk is now accepting applications for grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to support media outlets and individual journalists covering water issues related to the Colorado River Basin. The deadline for applications for the 2022 grants is Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at 11:59 pm Pacific.