August 23, 2019 / Volume 7, Issue 17
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: WRRC Conference / WATEC / APW /  Tier Zero  / Job Opportunity
Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program and the Importance of its Joint Cooperative Process
On August 19, 2009, the Principal Engineers representing the binational International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) signed the "Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program" (Joint Report).  The Joint Report enabled scientists and government officials  from the United States and Mexico to partner in assessing their shared aquifers, an effort that aligns with principles that advance  sustainable groundwater management and governance . 
 
WRRC EVENTS 
WRRC Brown Bag - The Ecology of Water Harvesting
 
September 10, 2019

Speaker:  Vanessa Buzzard, Senior Research Specialist, UA School of Natural Resources and Environment
 
Water harvest systems are common in residences throughout Tucson, but little work has been done to explore how these systems impact ecological processes. We therefore set out to characterize changes in ecosystem processes relating to soil health after installation of various water harvesting systems.

Upcoming Brown Bags
  • September 18, Paul Hirt, Professor, Arizona State University - "The History of Water"
  • October 8,  Dick Thompson, and Maya Teyechea, Hydrologists, Tucson Water, "Santa Cruz Heritage Project Updates"
  • October 16 Channah Rock, Professor, UA/ENVS, "Food Borne Outbreaks"
  • October 23 Itzchak E. Kornfeld, Professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, "Environmental Law"
  • November 8 Haley Paul, Policy Manager, Audubon Arizona, "The Economic Impact of Arizona's Rivers, Lakes, and Streams"
  • November 19, Betsy Wilkening, Keith Ladd, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, UA/APW and CAPLA, "Heat Mapping"
WRRC NEWS
santacruz Save the Date! WRRC Annual Conference will be March 27, 2020        
 
Water at the Crossroads: The Next 40 Years, is the topic for the WRRC's annual conference in 2020! Join us as we take stock of the last forty years of accomplishments in our state and as we look to the future. What tools and approaches will Arizona need as we make the tough water management choices of today and tomorrow? Save the date, Friday, March 27th, for an exciting dialogue on groundwater, surface water, water quality, access to water and more! The conference at the Black Canyon Conference Center, 9440 N 25th Ave, Phoenix, AZ. At each crossroads, we must choose the path to ensure a resilient water future for all of Arizona.
Thinking about attending WATEC 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 18-21? Consider attending a session organized by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal - "How desalination technology and institutional innovations can solve wicked water scarcity and quality problems in a binational setting." The session consists of an international panel of desalination experts. With a focus on binational efforts to reduce water resource vulnerability in the Colorado River Basin, the panel will explore options for desalination and the role of institutional innovation in the region. In addition, panelists will address similarities with other areas and share information on the status of the Red Sea-Dead Sea project.

APW2"Doing Science" with the Arizona Water Festivals
 
 
Focused on integrated learning that's grounded in life, the new Arizona Science Standards offer a departure from instructional practice of the past. The APW team is ecstatic about this change since it puts inquiry and discovery at the forefront of learning and literacy. The newly created Arizona Water Festival Unit challenges students to find out how their local water cycle affects water availability in their region and how it impacts their lives. The Unit fully meets two of the new 4th grade Arizona Science Standards.  Our 3-Dimensional Learning instruction focuses on "doing science", not learning about it.   Phenomena, events or situations that can be observed and whose causes are in question, drive the science instruction.  For a look at what that looks like check out our awesome Water Cycle Introduction video for students here.
Photo Source:  USA Today
swesMandatory Reductions in Colorado River Water: Implications for Arizona      
Earlier this year, Arizona, other Colorado River Basin states and Mexico agreed on Drought Contingency Plans to help boost the levels of Lake Mead and Lake Powell between 2020 and 2026. This means that Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will have cuts in water deliveries for next year based on projections by the Bureau of Reclamation that show that Lake Mead will be just below 1,090 feet. Arizona's cuts will total 192,000 acre-feet in water deliveries for 2020. While these cuts represent a significant reduction, it is about the same amount that the Central Arizona Project has been voluntarily leaving in Lake Mead since 2015 through conservation efforts. The big difference for 2020 is that those voluntary measures will now be mandatory.
 
JobWRRC Seeks Program Coordinator
 
      
The WRRC is searching for a Program Coordinator to contribute leadership and provide support to various projects at the  WRRC . This position is divided among three primary areas of responsibility, including implementation of a research transfer program, maintaining up-to-date records of the activities and products of  WRRC  programs and staff, and contributing to The Water  RAPIDS  (Research and Planning Innovations for Dryland Systems) program by engaging stakeholders on understanding water management issues.
 
This position is open until filled.  Interested parties should follow the link provided to submit an application.   
 
UA Job Link       
ANNOUNCEMENTS