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May 27, 2022 / Volume 10, Issue 1
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Reflections, INHABITANTS, TAAP, APW, ADWR/CAP, Solar Panel Canopies
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Reflections: Energized by Highly Engaged Students |
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This Spring Semester I once again taught my graduate class, Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions. Like last year, I had a good-sized seminar class, with 18 students, including two auditors. Unlike last year, we met in person, with virtual participation available for any student who could not attend class and for some guest speakers. Though it took some learning to deliver the class effectively in a hybrid setting, the dual platform for delivery enabled consistent participation throughout the semester. I do think this is the way future classes will be offered.
The three-unit class met Friday mornings for 2.5 hours. Because many people may wonder what a course in water policy is about, I share, here, the course expectations we go over at the first meeting.
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WRRC 2022 Annual Conference: Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability
Dates: Jul 12–14, 2022
Times: 9 am–4 pm (Jul 12), 9 am–12 pm (Jul 13–14) Arizona Time
Registration for the 2022 WRRC Annual Conference is now open! This year’s conference, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability, will take place over three days, July 12–14. Day One will be held in person at the University of Arizona Student Union on Tuesday, July 12 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Arizona time. Two mornings of virtual programming, 9:00 am to noon, will follow the in-person event. The agenda reflects the diversity of Arizona agriculture, including large-scale irrigated operations, specialty agriculture, ranching, dairy farming, Tribal farms, and traditional practices. The program will highlight innovations, sustainable practices, the impacts of drought and climate change, and the conditions that shape agricultural activities. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, standard registration for the in-person day is only $60, and we are pleased to offer $25 registration for students. For those who cannot make it to Tucson on July 12, we are offering non-interactive livestreaming at no charge. We are also offering free registration for the July 13 and July 14 virtual programming, which will be interactive. We hope to see many of you in Tucson for our first major in-person gathering since 2019. We’ve missed you!
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Many Engaged for INHABITANTS Documentary Panel Discussion
On May 16, the WRRC hosted a panel discussion on the documentary film INHABITANTS: Indigenous Perspectives On Restoring Our World. The panel featured Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Assistant Specialist, UArizona Indigenous Resilience Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment; film co-directors Costa Boutsikaris and Anna Palmer; and moderator Rebecca Tsosie, JD, Regents Professor of Law, UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
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WRRC and Universidad de Sonora: Present and Future Cooperation on Transboundary Matters
On May 16, the WRRC organized a meeting in Nogales, Arizona to discuss current and future opportunities for collaboration on the federally funded Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP). Meeting participants included representatives from the WRRC, the Geology Department of Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), and the United States Geological Survey. At the meeting, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, UNISON Professor Elia M. Tapia, and WRRC Post-doctoral Researcher Mary Belle Cruz Ayala presented results from current projects and activities, including a review of climate change impacts on the Santa Cruz River Basin and the socioeconomic characterization of selected border municipalities. UNISON researchers and faculty provided updates on recent participation in technical working meetings, seminars, and projects such as the “Hydro-geomorphologic mapping of the San Pedro Aquifer.” Over the last five years, the Arizona-Sonora TAAP team has collaborated on articles and reports, presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, and have organized forums and seminars to improve knowledge about their shared groundwater resources. Opportunities for further collaboration include a climate change assessment and water balance modeling of the San Pedro aquifer, aquifer prioritization efforts, maintaining data-sharing efforts, and studies on groundwater governance.
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Ag/Water Nexus Academy 2022
Water is an important consideration for most businesses, but it is absolutely essential for agriculture. Arizona agriculture exports food and fiber to 70 countries across the globe as well as throughout the US. It contributes more than $23.3 billion to our state’s economy but also uses 70% of our state’s water resources. On the surface, agriculture seems to be a likely industry to review for water savings. Yet, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving.
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ADWR and CAP Host Colorado River Shortage Briefing
A joint briefing on the historic water shortage in the Colorado River Basin was held on May 6, facilitated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), Central Arizona Project (CAP), and federal Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke and CAP General Manager Ted Cook hosted the briefing. The session began with an operational update from Reclamation’s Daniel Bunk, who reviewed current conditions in the Basin. According to Bunk, the current drought has been the “driest 22-year period (2000-2021) on record,” and with both Lake Powell and Lake Mead at historically low levels, “its not looking particularly optimistic at either reservoir.” Proposed actions to preserve water levels at Lake Powell for power production at Glen Canyon Dam included the release of 500 KAF (thousand acre-feet) from Flaming Gorge Reservoir over the next 12 months and the retention of 480 KAF in Lake Powell, reducing the 2022 delivery of water to Lake Mead. ADWR Director Buschatzke noted “We expect further significant actions to reduce water use will be required in the Lower Basin to protect Lake Mead now and for the future.” Despite these concerning prospects, the presenters emphasized that “there is no imminent threat to water at the tap inside your home and business.”
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Test Project to Reduce Water Loss: Solar Panel Canopies over California Canals
In California’s Central Valley, the California Department of Water Resources, Turlock Irrigation District, and the University of California system are partnering on a project to build solar power canopies over canals within the irrigation district. The project will assess reductions in water transmission losses, both from insolation and wind driven evaporation. Project proponents expect that the solar panel efficiency will also be improved because the solar panels installed over water will not see the same magnitude temperature increase as those installed over land. This pilot project will provide real world data to evaluate the benefits of these infrastructure projects without requiring the purchase of additional land and associated potential impacts on sensitive habitat that would be needed to construct new canals for testing purposes. Darrin Francom of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) commented on the feasibility of implementing a similar project on CAP canals, stating that the long distance from CAP canals to electric transmission infrastructure makes these projects cost prohibitive to implement.
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Please visit WRRC's website for a complete listing of water jobs & opportunities.
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The latest issue of the Renewable Resources Journal is now available as a free download, featuring an article by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal titled "Water Policy Options as Arizona Adapts to a Drier Colorado River: A Perspective." Click here to download RNRF's public policy journal.
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Proceedings and Recordings available for Santa Cruz River Research Days, March 24 & 25, 2022
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Do you have a story idea, water job announcement, or event to share?
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