January 17, 2020 / Volume 8, Issue 2
The Water Resource Research Center - a research unit of the  College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and an Extension unit in  UA Cooperative Extension  within the Division of   Agriculture,  Life & Veterinary Sciences & Cooperative Extension
In this issue:  Webinar Series  / APW / Water Network / Drones
Photo Contest Winners!
The WRRC is excited to announce the winners of the 2019 Photo Contest, Arizona Runs on Water. We had a multitude of wonderful photos to choose from. Judging wasn't an easy task, but the quality of the photos made it a joyful one. The winners for each category are as follows:
 
 
All submissions can be seen on our website. The winner of Best in Show will be featured on our home page banner through 2020.
 
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who submitted photographs and we hope you all submit again next year!

WRRC EVENTS 
Water-Energy Interface in the Context of Air Conditioning and Some History of Electricity Generation

January 22, 2020
 
Speaker: Henry Johnstone, PE,  President of GLHN Architects & Engineers, Inc.
 

The dynamic relationship between water and energy has become a national topic in recent years and is of particular interest to those in Arizona, where projections of water scarcity and changes in electrical generation are frequently reported in the media. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the sources and sinks of energy and water in Arizona and then focus on their interaction at campus or municipal district scale.

Chocolate Fest 2020

Feb. 13, 2020
 
Speaker: TBA
 

This year, we are adding to the Chocolate Fest tradition with a theme: Honoring the flowing Santa Cruz River. Over the past ten years there have been profound changes in the Santa Cruz River, and at the 16th Annual Chocolate Fest we will have a short program celebrating the changing river. We will also applaud the 2019 WRRC photo contest winners.

OTHER EVENTS 
Arizona Runs on Water: A Cooperative Extension Education Series for Maricopa County 

Water Challenges Facing Agriculture in Maricopa County

January 30, 2020
 
Speakers:  Dr. Ayman Mostafa, Extension Agent/Regional Spec., UA;  Jim Boyle, Owner/operator, Boyle Dairy;  DeWayne Justice, Owner/operator, Justice Brothers;  Ron Rayner, Owner/operator, A Tumbling T Ranches
 
Time/Location: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
4341 East Broadway Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85040

Come learn about Maricopa County agriculture and its water  challenges, how growers  conserve water, and how they are preparing  for the Drought Contingency Plan. This is the second in a series of lectures focusing on water in Maricopa County sponsored by Maricopa County Cooperative Extension and the WRRC, UArizona.

Check out the flier 
WRRC NEWS
webinarGet Ready! The 2020 WRRC Conference Webinar Series

In preparation for our 2020 Annual Conference, "Water at the Crossroad: The Next 40 Years," the WRRC is hosting three webinars to provide background information for the in-depth discussions at the conference. The 2020 Conference 'Get Ready' Webinar Series will be held from noon to 1:30 PM, every second Tuesday, beginning February 4, 2020. Each webinar will focus on a different topic. 

On Feb 4, the first webinar will feature Arizona Department of Water Resources Deputy Assistant Director Carol Ward and Program Manager Natalie Mast in a forward-looking discussion about the Groundwater Management Act and the Active Management Areas' 5th Management Plans. The Feb. 18 webinar will provide an update on the work of the various committees of the Governor's Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council, and on Mar. 3, Central Arizona Project staff will discuss Colorado River water issues.

Engage in these discussions by registering for the webinars or join us in our satellite webinar location, the Sol Resnick Conference Room here at the WRRC. More information on the webinar series and our annual conference is available on our website.

Register for the webinars here
Register for the conference here
apwHigh School Students Visit UArizona to Prepare for Statewide Envirothon Competition
 
 
Envirothon coach Patrice Whalen said, "You should have heard the chatter in the van on the way home!" after the 2020 Arizona Envirothon Symposium held at UArizona last Saturday.
Her students were some of the 65 high school students attending this year's symposium with their 17 coaches. The symposium is coordinated by the Environmental Sciences Department and Arizona Project WET. Dr. Martha Whitaker presented the keynote address, "Water Resources Management: Local Control and Local Solutions." Dr. David Walker shared his expertise in aquatic ecology; Dr. Michael Bogan engaged the students in thinking about food chains, webs and their connection to water; Dr. Craig Rasmussen stressed the importance of soil to water management; and Dr. Jackie Maximillian built an understanding of forest management's impacts on water quality. The afternoon ended with Dr. Tom Wilson sharing tips on the delivery of competition-winning presentations.

The symposium prepared students for the 2020 Arizona Envirothon competition being held on April 3-4, at the R-C Scout camp near Payson.    

APW
water-networkLearn about Seminars and Jobs on the UArizona Water Network

As a hub for water-related activities at UArizona, the Water Network website includes a full listing of water-related seminars on and off campus. These seminars are all open to the public and offer a broad range of perspectives on water. One really fun series is the UA Science Cafe, which features lectures by researchers in casual public venues around Tucson. The Water Network also has a page dedicated to water-related jobs and opportunities. If you have a job, internship, or funding opportunity and would like to get the word out to graduate students and faculty at University of Arizona, you can submit it on the website here

droneUsing Drones to Save Water and Money

The Glendale Star reported on an interesting and novel use of technology last week; some Arizona farmers are using drones to map their fields. Data collected by the drones, through still-image cameras, video, and thermal sensors, can be used to help the farmers track crop resource needs, predict yield, and detect disease infestations. According to Kelly Thorp at the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Arid Land Agriculture Research Center in Maricopa, if the decisions being made are based on more accurate data, farmers can be more efficient in their water use.

Read the Glendale Star article here
ANNOUNCEMENTS