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July 8, 2022 / Volume 10, Issue 4
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IN THIS ISSUE: WRRC Conference, New Factsheet, Arroyo Release, APW, WIFA, AZ Voters, Conference Sponsors
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WRRC Conference Is Next Week:
Register FREE for Virtual Programming
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The WRRC 2022 Annual Conference, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability, is next week and it’s not too late to register! Our hybrid-format conference will be held in-person with livestreaming on July 12 and virtually on Zoom on July 13–14. You can register FREE for the livestream and the virtual sessions. Late registration for the in-person event is also available online or at the door for $85 or a discounted student rate of $25.
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Upcoming Events
Aug 30: WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: Rio Reimagined: Reconnecting the Salt River with the Valley's Metropolitan Communities
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Pima County Water Factsheet Published
The WRRC is pleased to release the latest in its Arizona Water Factsheet series, the Pima County Water Factsheet. These county-level resources are designed to answer common questions about water resources, tailored to every county in Arizona so as to foster understanding of the local nature of Arizona water resource challenges and solutions. Packaging concise water information for a general audience, these resources are nested within the broader Arizona context and address basic water supply and demand, regionally relevant challenges, and sustainability issues for the future. The WRRC draws upon a wide range of existing water-related data, guided by the expertise of a local Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), including, but not limited to, County Cooperative Extension staff. The Pima County TAC was highly engaged and, based on their input, the WRRC produced an extended six-page edition of the Pima County factsheet in addition to the standard four-page version. Factsheets are complete for Maricopa and Pima Counties, and the WRRC is in the final stages of revisions for Cochise County. Additional factsheets are well underway for Graham and Greenlee Counties, followed by Mohave and Pinal Counties. Central to this work is acknowledging the distinct water resources situations, priorities, and values of each county, as defined by local stakeholders.
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WRRC Releases 2022 Arroyo Featuring Indigenous Perspectives on Water Resilience
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is pleased to release the 2022 edition of its annual publication, Arroyo, titled “Water Resilience - Indigenous Perspectives.” This Arroyo contains information, insights, and perspectives from the 2021 WRRC Annual Conference, Tribal Water Resilience in a Changing Environment, which was dedicated to the legacy of trailblazing water rights attorney Rodney “Rod” Blaine Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community. Its unique approach conveys the words and messages of the many Native American participants in the conference. Beginning with a discussion of identity and resilience as experienced by Arizona’s Tribes, the Arroyo notes: “For many Native peoples in the arid Southwest, the sense of an identity born out of shared history and customs is inextricably linked to the lands and waters of their homelands.” From this foundation, the Arroyo goes on to summarize the legal history of Tribal water rights and settlements and to highlight partnerships among Native communities, and with non-Native entities, that enhance resilience. A section on the importance of Tribal representation and traditional knowledge in decision-making calls attention to changing conditions and attitudes. Finally, Tribal voices reflect on future water challenges and opportunities.
Image: David Dejong, MAR 5 Site, Gila River Indian Community
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APW Summer Professional Development
They could have been sitting by the pool reading a book or relaxing at a cabin in the mountains. Instead, several teachers chose to spend part of their summer with Arizona Project WET (APW), deepening their water content knowledge to share with students this coming school year.
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AZ Budget Includes Year-1 of Billion Dollar Water Resilience Funding
News stories on Arizona’s FY 2023 budget, recently signed by Gov. Ducey, barely mention water, although the budget includes a historic level of funding – almost $800 million -- for water supply augmentation, conservation, and related projects. Some of this total is reshuffled existing unspent monies, but the budget contains 334 million new dollars: the first installment of the $1 billion over three years envisioned in the governor’s water resilience strategy. The state legislature followed the budget with legislation, passed nearly unanimously by both houses and signed Wednesday, that lays out the who and how of spending the law’s $1.2 billion. The bulk of the funds are meant to go toward importing water from out of state through a project such as ocean water desalination or similar large-scale effort, potentially involving Mexico or California. Funds may not be used to buy Arizona-held Colorado River water, except for Tribal water. In the last hours of debate, an amendment set aside $200 million for a water conservation grant fund. From the rest of this money, about $83.5 million is for in-state projects to conserve or bolster existing water supplies. All the augmentation and conservation funding programs will be administered by a reimagined and restructured independent Water Infrastructure Finance Authority with expanded responsibilities and authorities and revised priorities. Also in the FY 2023 budget, the Department of Water Resources receives $3.5 million to conduct what is expected to be an annual water supply and demand assessment study, the first since 2011, and the Department of Environmental Quality receives $3 million over two years for a newly established direct potable reuse (DPR) program to develop DPR rules.
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Arizona Voters Prioritize Water
Recent survey findings from the Arizona Voters’ Agenda, released by Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), show that “more than 90% of all likely voters came to broad consensus on the need to address Arizona’s water future.” This consensus shows a common priority shared by Democrat, Republican, and Independent voters. Additionally, 96% of voters polled supported “Preserving and protecting Arizona's rivers, natural areas, and wildlife” and 94% agreed with the statement “The drought only continues to worsen. It has increased the intensity of our fire season and forced a declaration of water shortage on Lake Mead. We need to do something to protect our water future and secure our long-term water supplies.” According to CFA, these survey findings indicate that Arizona politicians of all parties may wish to prioritize water issues in their decision-making and in their campaign platforms for the coming election this November.
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Network with Sponsors at the WRRC Annual Conference
The WRRC is thrilled to have an outstanding group of sponsors for this year’s Annual Conference, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability. The support of our conference sponsors, who represent organizations and businesses from throughout Arizona and beyond, supports the development of our high-quality conference program and helps us keep registration costs as low as possible. This year will be the first in-person WRRC conference in three years, and we are pleased that many of our sponsors will be exhibiting during the July 12 in-person event. Attendees can visit table displays of ten sponsors plus our luncheon partner. If you are attending the July 12 event in person, we hope you will stop by the exhibition space to network with representatives, conference speakers, and other attendees. We can’t wait to see you all on Tuesday!
A full list of this year’s conference sponsors can be found on our website.
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Please visit WRRC's website for a complete listing of water jobs & opportunities.
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Petersen, Nancy, Karletta Chief, Toni M. Massaro, Nikki Tulley, Crystal Tulley-Cordova, and Jonelle Vold. “Respectful Tribal Partnership: What Philanthropy Can Learn From the Navajo Nation’s Collaborative Response to the COVID-19 Crisis.” The Foundation Review 14, no. 2 (2022). https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1611
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City of Tucson Announces John P. Kmiec as Director of Tucson Water. More Info
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Arizona Water Blueprint is holding Office Hours to teach new Arizona Water Blueprint skills and answer questions! More Info
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Do you have a story idea, water job announcement, or event to share?
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