In honor of the national Imagine a Day Without Water campaign, the WRRC provided free, week-long access to the film Thirst for Justice and hosted a webinar with a panel of the film’s affiliates. To expose the failures of environmental justice in communities with contaminated drinking water, the film follows community mobilizers in Flint, MI and the Navajo Nation in their efforts to fight for water justice. These activists highlight the physical, psychosocial, and political challenges stemming from the lack of clean water and the implications on community health and well-being. The four panelists were the film’s director, one of the film’s main protagonists, an environmental health specialist, and a community mobilizer in Flint, MI. To start the webinar, Director and BBC Multi-Media Investigative Journalist, Leana Hosea, spoke about the film’s production, her intention to feature heroines who are often leaders in the water movement, and her dedication to environmental justice coverage. One of the film’s lead characters, Co-Founder/CEO of Sixth World Solutions and Navajo community activist Janene Yazzie, Environmental Health Specialist Chris Shuey, and Kettering University Professor of Mechanical Engineering Laura Sullivan continued the dialogue on water justice in underserved communities. Their “clarion call” focused on the lack of support for sustaining mitigation measures taken since the film’s production, the continuing lack of research, and the need to transform water policies and systems to prioritize protecting lives in vulnerable communities.

Date: Nov 10, 2022

Time: 12:00 pm–1:15 pm Arizona Time

Location: Webinar Only

Chandler Noyes, PhD Candidate, Hydrology, UArizona

Simone A. Williams, PhD Candidate, Arid Lands Resource Sciences, UArizona

This WRRC Brown Bag presentation will cover research into the paleoclimate and past recharge rates of the Tucson Basin across the Holocene (past 12,000 years or so). Findings from this research show a general warming trend across the Holocene and ongoing, yet variable recharge across the Holocene corresponding to dramatic shifts in climate, and metrics besides groundwater age are needed to inform the resilience of groundwater resources.

In the United States, the lack of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in water governance and management has been identified as a serious problem that affects the validity of decisions. This WRRC Brown Bag presentation will share findings from a literature review conducted to understand DEIJ issues and identify strategies for addressing such issues in water dialogues.

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

Nov 29: Water and Agriculture: Chile-Arizona Experience; Co-hosted by the Agricultural Office of the Embassy of Chile in the US and the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center; 11:00 am to 1:00 pm AZ Time – Save the Date

Nov 30: Native Voices in STEM Fall 2022 Seminar Series – Save the Date

The inaugural recipient of the Rodney Blaine Lewis Scholars Award is Divine Kickingbird, who is enrolled at the University of Arizona as a first-year law student and aims to join the graduate program in Tribal Governance. The establishment of this endowed award was announced at the WRRC’s 2021 Annual Conference, Tribal Water Resilience in a Changing Environment. The award supports graduate students who are enrolled members of an Arizona Indian Tribe and who are enrolled in a program of study in water law, policy, or a closely related field. A member of the Navajo Nation, Kickingbird grew up understanding the importance of water and protecting the environment. Her childhood connection to agriculture and the environment began with summers spent helping her grandparents tend their farm. She says, “They instill a lot of traditional Navajo teachings to me while teaching me about agriculture.” Kickingbird holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Gonzaga University and a Master’s in Forensic Science from Syracuse University. The occurrence of the Gold King Mine spill during her childhood sparked her concern about environmental issues, water rights, and water availability. Kickingbird’s graduate studies helped her see how issues like missing and murdered Indigenous women and environmental issues are connected, inspiring her to pursue a law degree. We congratulate Divine Kickingbird on her selection for this award.

More Info

On average, 27% of Tucson's water demand is dedicated to outdoor irrigation. Rainwater harvesting can help to reduce reliance on drinking water for irrigation, as well as reduce water costs, localized flooding, and erosion. The City of Tucson offers a rebate program to promote both "passive" and "active" rainwater harvesting. Passive harvesting includes installing curb cuts and basins to collect stormwater from the street. Active harvesting includes installing cisterns and tanks to store rainwater for future use. Tucson’s rebates are available for residential customers as well as businesses. To find out more about initiatives to conserve water in Pima County, check out the Pima County Water Factsheet here: https://wrrc.arizona.edu/publications/factsheets/arizona-water-factsheet-pima-county

Image: "Tap Water" by Clint Budd

Image: “NO WATER” by AP Gorny

Officials from Phoenix Water are hosting a series of town hall meetings about the upcoming 2023 Tier 2a Colorado River shortages and how the city will manage the water cuts. A news posting on the City of Phoenix website states, “These town hall meetings are another step in the vital process of informing, educating, and listening as everyone comes together to understand this situation and search for viable solutions.” Each meeting will include a presentation from Phoenix Water, followed by time for questions from the attendees. Several meetings have already taken place. Upcoming meetings will be held in various locations around Phoenix on November 3, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 16. There will also be a virtual meeting on November 15 for those who cannot attend in person.

Meeting Dates & Locations

News Posting

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

Almond Alert Podcast interviewed Family Farm Alliance executive director Dan Keppen in an episode titled "The Future of Western Water." Watch Here

On October 19, the article “Managed aquifer recharge as a tool to improve water security and resilience,” co-authored by WRRC Post-doctoral Researcher Mary-Belle Cruz Ayala and Director Sharon B. Megdal, was published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. It examines recent literature on how MAR facilities contribute to meeting water management objectives and increasing resilience in arid and semi-arid regions. This research identified four elements impacting MAR efforts: (1) the regulatory framework, (2) the role of nongovernmental actors, (3) the sources of financial support to create or maintain MAR facilities, and (4) the end use of the recharged water. The article is available at no cost to those with access to the University of Arizona library. More Info

Campus Sustainability Fund Preliminary Annual Grant Application   

The Campus Sustainability Fund is pleased to announce that its Preliminary Annual Grant Application will open on November 14, 2022, and close on January 15, 2023. All students, staff, and faculty are invited to submit proposals that advance environmental and social sustainability on campus. These grants will award between $5,000 - $100,000. All applicants must attend a virtual office hour meeting with the committee prior to submitting their Preliminary Application. More Info