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July 10, 2020 / Volume 8, Issue 2
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WRRC Office Update
Although the WRRC building will be closed to the public until further notice, our staff continue to work and engage as much as possible. You can reach us via email as listed on our
Directory. We wish you all the best - Stay safe and healthy!
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Reflections: Time to Retire
the Water Buffalo Symbol?
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Your feedback is requested.
I am writing to invite your feedback on an important issue that came up at the Happy Hour discussion I hosted at the Water Resources Research Center's 2020 Annual Conference,
Water at the Crossroads: The Next 40 Years. On June 18 and 19, 2020, the audience heard distinguished speakers and panelists address the history, current status, and future of Arizona water policy and management. We are grateful for the many individuals who joined us virtually. Keynote addresses, along with panel presentations and discussions, are available at our
conference website. In addition to the formal sessions, at the end of the first day, two of our sponsors and I hosted informal Happy Hour discussions. The conversation at the Happy Hour I hosted was quite lively and brought up a controversy that has prompted me to write this
Reflections essay.
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 2020 WRRC Conference Videos are Posted
Videos have been posted on the
WRRC YouTube channel for the WRRC
June 18-19, 2020,
virtual annual conference,
Water at the Crossroads: The Next 40 Years
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If you were unable to attend or missed portions of the event, it is not too late to enjoy the timely and thought-provoking presentations and discussions. Speakers reflected on the legacy of the Groundwater Management Act as well as on the current status and future of water management in Arizona. Three of the sessions were facilitated discussions with questions from the audience in addition to those posed by moderators. Two of the sessions featured several 10-minute-long presentations that highlighted topics relevant to urban, rural, tribal, agricultural, and environmental water management. Because the conference was virtual, the videos offer a realistic rendering of the day. You can also view our sponsors' videos, slides, and all the PowerPoint presentations on our website.
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JAWRA Publishes WRRC-Based Transboundary Research
May 2020 UArizona PhD graduate Elia Tapia, with her dissertation committee chair WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal and others, has published an article in the
Journal of the American Water Resources Association on water conditions in the transboundary Santa Cruz River basin. Focusing on the river and associated aquifer along the stretch from the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Santa Cruz Active Management Area's northern boundary, the article reports on research that assessed the impacts of
pumping, effluent discharge
, and climate on the regional water budget. A conceptual model, which included a framework developed by co-author Eylon Shamir of the Hydrologic Research Center in San Diego, allowed Tapia to evaluate how increased pumping from projected growth in the area's residential population is likely to affect water resources. The study also reaffirmed the importance of treatment plant discharges, which are largely Mexican in origin. The variability of rainfall in the Upper Santa Cruz River watershed, along with the uncertainty of climate projections, pointed to a future that is equally likely to be wet or much drier. With this project, the authors, Tapia, Shamir, Megdal, and former WRRC research analyst Jacob Petersen-Pearlman, have also demonstrated an accessible methodology that can be applied globally.
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In the heat of the summer, we can appreciate the extra energy used to help keep us cool, but have you ever thought about all the energy it takes to deliver water to our doorstep? What about all the infrastructure that directs the water to our homes and businesses? Most people don't give our water management systems a second thought. We turn on the tap and water seems to magically appear.
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WRRC Research Analyst Accepts 2020 Flinn-Brown Fellowship
We are excited to announce the achievement of one of our own: Ashley Hullinger, WRRC Research Analyst, who will participate in the 2020 Flinn-Brown Fellowship program. The Flinn-Brown Fellowship offers
an unparalleled opportunity to learn
about Arizona policy and politics, as well as to connect with top state leaders and policy experts. Ashley will join the prestigious Flinn-Brown Network, which provides personalized long-term support for civic-leadership development. Honored by her inclusion in this talented and accomplished group of Fellows, Ashley will use this platform to promote and grow sustainable water management strategies in Arizona, especially in rural parts of the state.
Congratulations
, Ashley!
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Claire Zucker to be Director, PCCE
We are excited to share the news that Claire Zucker has been selected to be the new Director of Pima County Cooperative Extension, part of the UArizona Cooperative Extension System. She joined the WRRC in 2015 as Program Director of the Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions (WEES) Initiative, later served as Associate Director, and more recently as Acting Director, during Director Sharon B. Megdal's Spring semester sabbatical. All who worked with her have valued Claire's leadership, high-quality work, and cheerful attitude. The Technology Research Initiative Program-funded WEES initiative has benefitted tremendously from Claire's dedication to quality research and programming. Claire's contributions to the WRRC are too many to list, but we would be remiss if we did not extend Claire a huge thanks for her predominant role in organizing the successful virtual June 2020 WRRC Annual Conference. We look forward to working with her in her new capacity and invite you to join all of us at the WRRC in wishing her the very best. Claire's email contact information will remain
[email protected].
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