Already planning your summer? Then think about participating in the WRRC 2023 Annual Conference, which will explore solutions to Arizona’s pressing water resources issues. It will be held July 11–12, 2023 at the University of Arizona in Tucson. To canvas the range of solutions, for the first time, the WRRC will issue a call for oral presentations and posters. In this era of drought, diminished supply, and excessive demand, creative thinkers are proposing solutions that reduce demand, increase supply, and promote sustainable water use. From more water-efficient technology and voluntary conservation strategies to treatment and transport of saline or contaminated water and capture of rainwater/stormwater, multiple solutions are likely to be required. Science, engineering, agriculture, industry, law, education, and practical knowledge are sources of solutions worth considering. Be prepared to answer the call for proposals, coming in January 2023. The conference will be streamed live, but in-person attendance is encouraged.

Past Conferences

November was National Native American Heritage Month. The WRRC and the University of Arizona have been working to engage with and support Tribal conversations and efforts to address Native American issues. The Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes) at UArizona works to educate and engage with communities, featuring Native voices at UArizona and beyond. IRes hosts the Native Voices in Stem (NVIS) professional seminar series, co-sponsored by the WRRC, which invites “Native scientists, engineers, activists, community members and leaders to share their personal and professional journeys.” The WRRC 2022 Arroyo, Water Resilience - Indigenous Perspectives, featured highlights and takeaways from the WRRC 2021 Annual Conference Tribal Water Resilience in a Changing Environment, which honored the work of Rodney Blaine Lewis. UArizona has also set up the Rodney Blaine Lewis Scholars Award fund to “support 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.” Additionally, UArizona hosted its second annual Tribal Leaders Summit in early November to discuss advancing Native American health. The University consistently uses the Land Acknowledgement Statement, developed in 2021, that acknowledges the university's home on the land and territories of Indigenous people.

As water resources in Arizona become more strained, people continue to study ways to stretch or increase supplies. Cochise County is a leader in water conservation planning in rural Arizona. For instance, the Cochise Conservation and Recharge Network was established in 2015 to implement a series of conservation and recharge efforts using stormwater or reclaimed water within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Their eight project sites comprise more than 6,000 acres and have had the cumulative benefit of saving more than 41,000 acre-feet of water for the river through recharge, retired pumping, and precluded pumping. Want to learn more about water recharge initiatives in Cochise County? Check out the Cochise County Water Factsheet here: https://wrrc.arizona.edu/publications/factsheets/arizona-water-factsheet-cochise-county

A symposium on Tuesday, December 6, at UArizona marked the centennial of the Colorado River Compact with presentations and panel discussions by knowledgeable speakers with diverse perspectives on the river and its management. The program of Confluence: The Colorado River at the Compact’s Centennial, aiming at “a discussion of current issues and solutions along the ‘American Nile’,” included a significant Tribal presence. Their voices were heard less in the first half when the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources reviewed contemporary “unprecedented” occurrences on the Colorado River system. A panel of experts examined the impacts of climate change on longstanding expectations about how the water is apportioned and another addressed historical changes in the river’s ecosystems and what trends portend for the future. Sessions after lunch, which focused on water rights and governance, spotlighted issues of equity and justice, particularly with respect to Tribes. Ideals of inclusivity and transparency were generally embraced. A dominant message from the symposium was the imperative to reframe issues in new ways, incorporating views largely ignored when the compact was written, interpreted, and implemented throughout the past century. The current crisis may provide the opportunity for this reframing and the new solutions that such a seismic shift could make possible. The symposium also featured a book signing by authors of Cornerstone at the Confluence: Navigating the Colorado River Compact's Next Century, newly published by the University of Arizona Press. The link to the recording will be posted soon on The Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions' website: www.ccass.arizona.edu.

Image: Art by Patrick Kikut, Commissioned for Cornerstone

Want to know the current status of the Colorado River basin? Now under development, the Colorado River Science Wiki database will provide up-to-date research, water policy, and water management information relating to the Colorado River Basin. The goal of the database is to engage the greater Colorado River community, help shape water dialogues, and promote science-informed decision-making. Database development was initiated by Brad Udall with the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, Jeff Lukas with Lukas Climate Research and Consulting, and Julie Vano and Tanya Petach with the Aspen Global Change Institute.  Want to get involved? Contact Brad Udall at bradley.udall@colostate.edu.

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

Bernat, R.F.A., and Megdal, S.B. (2022) Water Federalism in the United States of America, Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Environmental Science (Online) and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Water Resources Management and Policy (Printed book). Published online November 23, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.795

Megdal, S.B., Mumme, S., Salmón, R. Sánchez, Rosario, Tapia-Villaseñor, E.M. Cruz Ayala, M.-B., and Ibañez, O. (2022) Reaching Groundwater Agreements on the Border Between Mexico and the United States: Science and Policy Fundamentals, in Transboundary Aquifers – Challenges and the way forward, Rosario Sánchez, ed., UNESCO, Paris, France. pp. 46-51. ISBN 978-92-3-100563-3.

The Path to Universally Affordable Water Access: Guiding Principles for the Water Sector. 

Water Management Assistance Program (WMAP) PowerBI Dashboard is now live and available on the WMAP webpage.

Sonoran Institute Arizona Reports: A Living River

The Sonoran Institute publishes reports on Arizona river ecosystems. Recent reports feature Tucson and Nogales. Many of the reports are available in both English and Spanish. More Info

Water and Tribes Initiative Report Full PDF

Enhancing Tribal Water Management Capacity in the Colorado River Basin: A Baseline Assessment More Info

Congratulations to Dr. Monica Ramirez-Andreotta

Dr. Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, assistant professor of Soil, Water and Environmental Science for the UArizona Department of Environmental Science, has been awarded funding for two excellent projects: Building a Culture of Health in the Green: Participatory Learning and Action to Address Air and Soil Quality in Rural Underserved Communities

and Wildfires and Flash Floods: Using Exposure Science to Identify Rural Arizona Mining Communities at Risk from the Release and Remobilization of Contaminants.

In Spring 2023, the UArizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) will be holding weekly Career Talks — an opportunity for employers to connect with CALS students to share an industry overview, discuss internship and/or job opportunities, and meet 1:1 with interested students. Career Talks are on Wednesdays from 12:30 - 1:30 pm AZ time. Interested employers can sign up here.

Public Comment: Drinking Water Regulations – Prohibition on Lead Use Rulemaking

ADEQ welcomes comments on updates to the safe drinking water rules in A.A.C. Title 18 Chapter 4 to conform to EPA’s final regulation entitled “Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water” (Lead Free Rule). 85 FR 54235 (Sept. 1, 2020). More Info

WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal has been appointed to serve on this new Commission that will provide recommendations on concrete steps the University can take to make our state a global leader in creating and applying transformational technologies and climate-resilient sustainable agricultural and food production practices, in partnership with the desert agriculture industry. More Info