IN THIS ISSUE: TAAP, Associate Director/Specialist, Special Event Recap, Arroyo, APW, WRRC Staff, Tucson One Water | |
In-Person TAAP Meeting Held in Arizona | |
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On June 6, 2023, US team members from the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) met at the WRRC to talk about past, current, and future research and collaborative efforts. Meeting participants included team members working on behalf of the WRRC, the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, the Texas Water Resources Institute, the United States Geological Survey, and the US Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). The transboundary aquifers shared by the United States and Mexico have been actively studied following the framework established by the 2009 IBWC "Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program" (TAAP Cooperative Framework). The TAAP efforts to date have improved knowledge of the transboundary Santa Cruz and San Pedro aquifers in Arizona and Sonora, along with the Mesilla and Hueco Bolson aquifers in Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. After the first day of presentations and discussions, participants went on a field trip to IBWC’s Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant in Rio Rico, which was followed by a meeting with research colleagues from the University of Sonora.
Image: Sam Fernald; Team members from the IBWC, USGS, TWRI, NMWRRI, and the WRRC at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
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Advance Registration Closing Soon!
Don’t wait to register for the WRRC 2023 Annual Conference! Advance registration closes on June 30. Advance registration is $130 ($75 for a single day), and we are also pleased to offer a $30 student registration rate. After June 30, late registration will be available for an increased cost. For those who cannot make it to Tucson, we are offering free non-interactive livestreaming of the event. Please join us July 11–12 for an expansive program featuring keynote speakers from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Central Arizona Project, Salt River Project, and Water Infrastructure Finance Authority. Day 2 will also include a keynote panel titled The Importance of Tribal Consultation for Solutions, featuring perspectives from Tribal leaders. Other conference panels and presentations will cover topics including utilizing technology, working with nature, adapting policy, and improving farming practices. We invite you to join us to engage in robust solutions-focused discussions. Check out the draft agenda and register today. We hope to see many of you in Tucson this July!
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31st Annual Arizona Water Law Conference
Dates: Aug 3–4, 2023
Location: Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas
6333 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Join over 100 of your colleagues to hear all perspectives on issues surrounding the Colorado River, Financing Water Solutions, Adjudications, Water Quality, Arizona vs. Navajo Nation, and more! Featuring speakers from Prescott Valley, City of Phoenix, WIFA, US Department of the Interior, Central Arizona Project, ADWR, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, The Nature Conservancy, Upper Colorado River Commission, Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Las Vegas Valley Water District, and top law firms!
Register Here
More Info
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WRRC Seeks Associate Director/Specialist
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is actively seeking candidates for its Associate Director / Extension Specialist position to work closely with the Director, providing center administration, program direction, and leadership for the WRRC.
More Info
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WRRC Hosts Author Melissa Sevigny
On Friday, June 16, the WRRC hosted UArizona alumna Melissa Sevigny for a presentation and signing of her newly released book, Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon. The book tells the story of botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, who ran the Colorado River in 1938 to survey the plant life of the Grand Canyon. Sevigny, who worked at the WRRC during her time as a UArizona student, is a talented and passionate science writer. Her presentation included a short reading from the book as well as many photos of the expedition and associated press coverage. She emphasized the challenges Clover and Jotter faced as women in the field of botany, and especially as women seeking to run the Grand Canyon — a journey which, at that point, no woman had ever completed. Sevigny also commended their dedication as botanists, collecting samples in the early morning and late at night and attempting to preserve them despite turbulent waters and not-so-waterproof storage in the boats. Sevigny’s presentation concluded with an audience Q&A and book signing. Brave the Wild River has been favorably reviewed in the New York Times.
More Info
NYT Book Review
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2023 Arroyo on Agricultural
Sustainability Printed
The WRRC’s 2023 Arroyo, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability, which was published online last week, has been printed. Identical to the online publication, the printed version is convenient for libraries, organizations and forums to share with in-person readers and participants. Copies will be included in the packets of this year’s WRRC Annual Conference attendees. The Arroyo draws from the 2022 conference on the same topic, addressing the impacts of drought and climate change on agriculture in Arizona and proposing strategies to keep it sustainable. Featured in the Arroyo are eight factsheets on related topics: Water Use by Crops, Water Scarcity Trends, Innovative Technologies, Irrigation Methods, Conservation vs. Efficiency, Reclaimed Water in Agriculture, Soils and Conservation Practices, and Native Agriculture. Each factsheet is designed to stand alone as well as to illustrate, with concise facts and accessible information, concepts introduced in the Arroyo text.
More Info
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AZ Project WET Announces New Director
AZ Project WET (APW) is pleased to announce Lisa Townsend as APW’s new Director. Townsend, a native of San Diego, spent her childhood enjoying the temperate weather, myriad landscapes, and wildlife of Southern California. Her family fostered her love of the outdoors; beach camping, exploring the desert, and backpacking in the mountains. Townsend has earned a BA and a California teaching credential, as well as a master's in Education, and she purposefully comingled her passion for nature and conservation with her professional training, spending twenty-three years in zoo education working to End Extinction and Secure a Future for Wildlife. Over the past two decades, Townsend has been developing, implementing, and managing both formal and informal, experiential, place-based, action-driven, environmental education programs for nature enthusiasts, from preschoolers to adults. She is happiest outdoors — under a leafy green canopy, beneath a starry sky, or taking in a mountain vista at sunrise — and loves birding, traveling, and her two senior rescue dogs. Committed to resource stewardship, Townsend is thrilled to join the team at Arizona Project WET and the APW team is confident that she is the right person to lead APW into the next phase!
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WRRC Bids Fond Farewell to Two
Staff Members
It is always bittersweet when good people leave the WRRC. Please join us in extending well wishes to two of our own who will be moving on to new ventures. Linda Heffernan, longtime HR administrator for the Department of Environmental Science and the WRRC, is retiring. Director Sharon B. Megdal noted that “Linda’s knowledge of human resources systems and HR best practices has been so helpful to the WRRC. Her patience as we learned to navigate new processes is much appreciated.” Additionally, business manager Leslie Bonilla has accepted a new position in the UArizona Plant Sciences department. Director Megdal commented “Though I am sorry to see her leave the WRRC and Department of Environmental Science, I am delighted to see Leslie continuing to advance her career. It has been wonderful working with Leslie, who always has a positive, can-do attitude.” We wish Leslie and Linda all the best. We will miss them!
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City of Tucson Seeks Input for Draft One Water Plan
The City of Tucson has opened a forum for citizens to submit public comments on the Draft One Water 2100 Plan. The draft plan will carefully consider how factors such as population growth, climate change, economic development, conservation practices, and water quality will impact Tucson over the next 80 years. The draft plan will “provide guidance on how the City can best manage water resources under changing conditions.” The draft plan was developed through extensive community engagement and the City now seeks public review and comment. Comments can be submitted through the link below. The City asks that page numbers be provided if comments are directed toward specific statements within the draft plan. The public comment period closes on July 21.
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WRRC Seeks Associate Director/Specialist
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is actively seeking candidates for its Associate Director / Extension Specialist position to work closely with the Director, providing center administration, program direction, and leadership for WRRC. In this position, the successful candidate will also conduct applied research and engagement, pursue scholarly activities, and establish and maintain extramural funding. The minimum qualifications include a Doctorate or equivalent terminal degree, a minimum of five years of work experience related to Arizona’s and regional water management, a strong record of scholarly accomplishments, and a record of collaborative projects and programs. The WRRC is administratively located within the University of Arizona’s Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension and is also part of the National Institutes for Water Resources, a national network of federally authorized institutes/centers that address unique water-related concerns of the individual states and the nation. The academic home of the position will depend on the candidate’s specialization and the rank will depend on the candidate’s record and experience.
Please visit UA Talent req14913 for additional information on the position and to apply.
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Please visit WRRC's website for a complete listing of water jobs & opportunities.
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Bureau of Reclamation News Release
Interior Department Initiates Process to Develop Future Guidelines and Strategies for Protecting the Colorado River. Read Here
ConserveAZ Spring Magazine Released
Spring has sprung! Flora and fauna are blooming and buzzing, and we're gearing up for summer! Browse Arizona’s Conservation Districts’ library of magazines to read more about the great work conservation districts and producers are doing to Conserve AZ!
Science Friday: Southwestern States Break the Dam on Water Stalemate
Science Friday radio host Ira Flatow interviewed WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal and Luke Runyon, managing editor and reporter for KUNC in Grand Junction, CO, to discuss what the proposed plan for Colorado River water cuts might mean for southwestern states. Listen Here
New Tool: Arizona Groundwater Explorer
The Arizona Groundwater Explorer, or AGEx, has just been released. AGEx allows users to explore groundwater levels, changes, and trends across Arizona using data from the combined USGS and ADWR databases in an intuitive, map-based portal. More Info
Women in Water Diplomacy Network Newsletter
The recent Women in Water Diplomacy Network newsletter highlights inclusivity, reflects on the UN Water Conference, and reports on the first half of 2023. It includes an article from WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, titled “Inclusivity fostered by the Women in Water Diplomacy Network.” Read Here
Western Water Article on New Underground Mapping Technology
An article titled “High-Tech Mapping of Central Valley’s Underground Blazes Path to Drought Resilience” features a new underground mapping technology that reveals the best spots for storing surplus water in California’s Central Valley. The new maps are drawn from data on the composition of underlying rock and soil gathered by low-flying helicopters towing giant magnets. Read Here
Tucson Floodplain and Stormwater Management Workshop Recording
Watch Here
June 1, 2023 CAWCD Board Meeting Recap Read Here
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Applications Open for Indigenous DataSET Fellowship
Shape the future of Indigenous Data Sovereignty in Arizona! Early career faculty (postdoc through assistant professor) at all public universities and tribal colleges in the state are invited to participate in the inaugural cohort of Indigenous DataSET fellows by July 15, 2023. More Info
ADEQ Invitation to Comment
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) invites stakeholders to review and comment on the Aquifer Water Quality Standards (AWQS) rulemaking “Standard Work” presented at the Stakeholder Meeting on June 8, 2023. Comments must be submitted by June 30, 2023. More Info
ADEQ Notice of Final Rulemaking — Water Quality Permit and Service
Fees Update
ADEQ kicked off the final step of rulemaking by submitting the Water Quality Permit and Service Fee Rule to the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council on June 16, 2023. The rule is expected to be considered at the council's July 25 study session and considered for approval at its August 1 monthly meeting. If approved during the August 1 meeting, the effective date for the fee rule would be August 4, 2023. More Info
National Wildlife Federation Policy Fellowship — Resilient Water Resources
The National Wildlife Federation is seeking a Kate Zimmerman Policy Fellow to support the Western Water Director in improving land management policies and practices that foster resilience and sustainability of the West’s water resources, with a focus on the restoration and protection of riparian corridors. This 11-month position offers $25.00 per hour plus core benefits. This Fellowship honors Kate Zimmerman, a public lands champion and giant of conservation policy that helped to conserve millions of acres of the nation’s public lands during her illustrious career. The Fellowship builds on Kate’s legacy and supports the leadership development of the next generation of women conservation policy leaders. More Info
Paul Brierley Appointed Director of AZ Dept. of Agriculture
Executive director of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture Paul Brierley was appointed director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture by Governor Katie Hobbs. More Info
Diana Liverman Scholars Program
Join a cross-disciplinary cohort of undergraduate environmental scholars to deepen your communication skills through connection to place, community, and one another. The Liverman Scholars Program is the first of its kind and investigates resilience in response to pressing environmental and social issues. The deadline to apply for the 2023–2024 academic year is July 7. More Info
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