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In This Issue
The Media of Water
AWRA Member News
AWRA State Section Activities
Upcoming AWRA Conferences
Water Resources Info
AWRA Career Center
Non-AWRA Calls for Abstracts
Non-AWRA Water Resources Conferences
Hydrofracking picture

Hydraulic Fracturing: Legislative and Regulatory Trends by Adam Orford

"Hydraulic fracturing has created a public furor. Little of that debate, however, has focused on the protections that are already in place, and what actually is being done to increase those protections."
This article summarizes the current state of legislative and regulatory responses to the ongoing hydofracking debate.

Flooding Photo
What's Caused the Flooding in Thailand? 
9 million people affected, 360 people killed, over 100,000 displaced, and over 12% of crop land under water. In addition, huge international economic losses are being caused by ongoing flooding in and around Bangkok according to a recent report by NPR.  The article linked below associates the flooding with a range of policies and practices applied in the Northern Watersheds including inadequate dam management, loss of wetlands and forest cover, and expanses of impervious surfaces.   Future events appear likely.  Click here for an article on the possible causes ... in addition to rain. For more on the human crisis, go to  http://www.rescue.org/blog/crisis-watch-flood-waters-sweep-through-thailand

 
Living Bridge Photo

We recently learned of  this amazing video that shows how a  tradition of building with nature continues to overcome the barriers of wild rivers.  Living Bridges
More information and pictures are available here.  

Tree ring photo

Tree rings reveal it hasn't been this dry in Texas since 1789

According to an article in Texas Climate News, federal experts have determined that only one other year in almost five centuries was as severe as it was in 2011. Since human records for Texas only date to 1895, scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory analyzed tree ring data. For more information, click here.  

 
guinea worm
Water-born Guinea Worm Eradication in Ghana. $31 million now available to support the continued campaign.

In July 2011, Ghana's Ministry of Health announced it had seen no cases of Guinea worm for more than a year.  In 1986 there were an estimated 3.5 million cases in 21 countries. Today, there are fewer than 1,800 cases in the world. In Ghana there are none. Drinking water infested with a  water flea that feeds on Guinea worm larvae allows this larvae to penetrate the wall of the lower intestine and spend months developing into worms.  On Oct. 5, the British Government announced it will provide �20 million (US $31 million) to assist the Carter Center's Guinea worm eradication campaign. Announcement in Wall Street Journal

what worm extraction looks like and an overview of  its affects on health, education, poverty, and hunger.


Tuvalu water crisis

Complete loss of potable water affects  the Islands of Tuvalu and Tokelau in the Pacific Islands:
a fragile culture is at stake.

This Blog provides the the most details found with addtional information available through the  Secretariat of the Pacific Community.


Picture of Hammurabi
Factoids on water resources history in AWRA's November's IMPACT

- Roosevelt's Civilian Conversation Corp planted 300 billion trees to assist with soil erosion control. 

- The Code of Hammurabi states that the amount of water distributed should proportionally correspond to number of acres farmed. (Hammurabi, King of Babylonia and pictured above, reigned 1795-1750 BCE) 

 

 - Edmund Halley (born 1656 in London and after whom Halley's Comet was named) showed that water evaporates from oceans and returns as rainfall and runoff, thus sustaining rivers, springs, groundwater, and plants.

 

- Yu, the Great, became the first water manager in China ca. 2280 BCE and supervised dam and dike construction for land reclamation and flood control.  

   

Recyled water picture

Model Water Recyling in Australia

This paper
traces Australia's history in maximizing water recycling opportunities from policy, regulatory and technological perspectives. It explores how approaches to waste water reuse in the driest, inhabited  continent on the earth has changed over the past 40 years from an effluent disposal issue to one of recognizing waste water as a legitimate and valuable resource. Click here  to access the paper in the journal "Water."   This  website is devoted to recyled water in Australia.

Wangari Maathai Photo

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in 2004 and the founder of the Green Movement in Kenya, died September 25 at the age of 71. As someone who came to recognize the association between   access to water, trees, poverty and women's rights, she was a member in action of AWRA's multidisciplinary approach to water resources. For a link to a video on her work and vision click here.
Or take a moment to read her story and obituary. (See my introductory letter above)

Transforming Landscapes
Transforming Landscapes, Transforming Lives: The Business of Sustainable Water Buffer Management

Recently published, this book available free on-line focuses on  the development of water buffers, sustainable land management, and the business case underneath these technologies. Its messages include:
make stronger more resilient buffers;  
include 'recharge, retention and reuse (3R)'; approach different land areas differently; and respect the links between land, moisture, groundwater, rivers, and the economy.  It includes many cases of sustainable buffer management and is a sequel to 'Managing the Water Buffer for Development and Climate Change Adaptation.' The International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Netherlands National Committee supported its publication. For a link to a copy, click here .

hard hats
 

Shortage of Skilled Water Resources Professionals and Managers 


Recent research by the UK Department for International Development confirms that there is a significant shortfall in the quantity of skilled workers to achieve the U.N.s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for Water and Sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.  Preliminary estimates suggest that approximately 2.5 million new engineers, technicians and health promoters are needed by/before 2015. In addition, improvement in the leadership and management of organizations, employment conditions, and other work-related incentives are critical. According to World Health Organization statistics, over 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to clean water.The UN's MDGs includes a target of half-ing the  the number of people lacking clean water and sanitation by 2015. This article appeared in
September edition of Waterwiki  


child and water

Check out the  "Water Changes Everything Video"produced by Charity:Water

Yamuna River and Taj Mahal

From Open Sewer to Environmental Gem?

Adjacent to the Taj Mahal is India's Yamuna River, one of world's most heavily polluted. Now plans are underway to transform it from an 'open sewer' to a multi-million dollar environmental attraction View article. 

ADD WATER BLOG 

************

Have you seen something in the news that we should share?  Send me

the link and any comments you might have. 

 


 
people and globe
AWRA
Member News
  

Renew NOW for 2012
or
"The study of water cuts across many disciplines. AWRA attracts individuals who wish to transcend the limits of their own discipline by exploring water from other perspectives and interacting with others who desire to do the same." - Michael E. Campana, AWRA President

 From  Seametrics posting, August 2011
 

NGO Embraces Multidisciplinary Approach to Water Resources

  

*****************
 
Not a member? 
Please join us in  advancing the protection and management of our water resources.

AWRA State Section Activities

Florida State Section
 Upcoming Meetings
(click on the link for info on all following meetings) 

  

Indiana Water Resources Association  

"Climate Change and Water Resources"  

Indiana Government Center, Indianapolis

South Building, Conference Room B

Friday, November 4, 2-4 pm






Connections

The E-Newsletter of the

American Water Resources Association

October 2011


  
" We will not achieve global food security without water security. The integrated management of land and water buffers is pivotal"

                                                                                         From "Transforming Landscapes, Transforming Lives"
                                                                                      (See information on publication to the left)
 
       

Dear Friend of AWRA,    

  

On September 25,  Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, a member AWRA's community at large and native of Kenya, died at age 71.  

  

Wangari's work and message was about understanding the important connection between water, soil, forests, hydrology, biology, education, government, and ability of people to stand up for their communities.  

 

In her first speech after winning her award, she spoke in her native Kikuyu language to an audience of 200 people, mostly poor women who had gathered to collect government food aid.  

 

"Don't farm in forests ... because we will lose our forests," she said. "We have been given the responsibility of caring for future generations, and the younger ones, so that they may have water."  

  

  More recently, she reflected over why she was awarded the prize:   

  

"I believe the Nobel committee was sending a message that protecting and restoring the environment contributes to peace; it is peace work.... I always felt that our work was not simply about planting trees. It was about inspiring people to take charge of their environment, the system that governed them, their lives and their future. With the Prize I realized that the world was listening."    

  

So this October newsletter is offered in honor of Wangari Maathai and all of AWRA's members and friends contributing to peace's work... big or small. More information on Wangari can be found under the Media of Water section to your left.

  

Thank you for reading this month's edition of "Connections" and supporting AWRA.  

 

A surprisingly early snow fall came to AWRA's headquarters in Virginia this weekend so it's especially nice to be heading off to sunny Albuquerque for the AWRA annual conference.    

 

Hope to see you there.    

  

   

Mary

  

Photo of Mary Ashton 

  

Mary Ashton

AWRA

687.8390

    

P.S. In addition to the Announcement section directly below, and The Media of Water section to the left, there's a Water Resource Information section further down the page (it's on a blue background) where items of interest are kept until they go out of date or are just deleted.   There's also postings of conferences, Call for Abstracts, and State Section activities future down. 

 

  

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS

  

Michael Campana PhotoAWRA President addresses global water crisis and the need to manage rivers on a watershed basis

  

On September 16, Michael Campana spoke on groundwater issues at the International Water Forum held at the UN and stated that the US should support human rights to water and sanitation. "Will this change the landscape overnight? Of course not. But it will send an important message" said Campana. The purpose of the forum was to take the first step towards organizing a worldwide education and awareness campaign on the global water crisis.

  

In October, Campana urged the reversal of Virginia's decision to eliminate funding for the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). In a letter to the Director of Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality, Campana pointed out the importance of ICPRB's management of the Potomac through cooperative and collaborative interaction with all basin states." He stated "The American Water Resources Association has long held the position that rivers should be managed on a watershed basis rather than on the basis of political boundaries...With the increasing population of the [Potomac] basin together with climatic extremes ...the ICPRB mission has even great importance."

  

 

WSWC  LogoThe Western States Water Council adopted a vision on water at their October 2011 meeting. Summary information is provided in the attached.  Of particular interest are the five main points:

1. State primacy is fundamental to a sustainable water future

2. Given the importance of water to health, the economy, food supply, and the environment, water must be given a high public policy priority at all levels

3. An integrated and collaborative approach to water resources management is critical to environmentally sound and efficient use of our water resources

4. An approach to water resources management and development should accommodate sound economic growth

5.  There must be a cooperation among stakeholders at all levels and agencies of government  

  

Click here for the document. 

  

   

 Hydrofracking Webinar logoUpcoming Hydraulic Fracturing Webcast series to start November 1. AWRA and The Clean Water America Alliance are convening this series to provide an unbiased look at all sides of the fracking debate.   For program and registration Information click here.  

 

 Photo Jerry Rogers 

Former AWRA President, Jerry Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., received the Civil Engineering History and Heritage Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Memphis on Oct. 21. Nearing retirement after 41 years at the University of Houston, Professor Rogers received the AWRA Fellow and Icko Iben Awards, coordinated the 1995 AWRA North American Water Resources Conference in Houston that reconvened in Cancun, Mexico, and was honored by ASCE with the Environmental and Water Resources Institute Lifetime Service Award in May of this year. [email protected]    

EPA logoA new report from the National Research Council presents a framework for incorporating sustainability into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's principles and decision making.  The framework, requested by EPA, is intended to help the agency better assess the social, environmental, and economic impacts of various options as it makes decisions.The recommended approach incorporates and goes beyond assessing and managing the risks posed by pollutants that has largely shaped environmental policy since the 1980s. For more information click here. For access to the report click here    

 

 2012 early logo

   

Call for Abstracts for AWRA's 2012 Summer Specialty Conferences in Denver, Colorado   

  • Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Water Resources II: Research, Engineering, and Community Action  June 25 - 27, 2012    
  • Riparian Ecosystems IV: Advancing Science, Economics and Policy  June 27-29, 2012
    Watch for more information soon to be posted on AWRA's website.


Bureau of Reclaimation LogoReclamation Extends Comment Period on Requirements for Water Project Feasibility Studies

 

The Bureau of Reclamation has extended the period seeking public comment on the draft directive and standard for feasibility studies to formulate, evaluate and select project plans for implementation. These updated guidelines establish the responsibilities, requirements and procedures for performing detailed planning studies, including feasibility studies conducted for the purpose of recommending congressional action, including approval, authorization, or appropriations, in accordance with Executive Order 12322.
Comments on the draft updated guidelines will continue to be accepted until 5 PM, November 25, 2011.

 

The draft directive and standard is available for detailed review at: http://www.usbr.gov/recman. A summary of the draft update can be found at: http://on.doi.gov/qUPZPo.  

 Comments or questions may be directed to Chris Perry at [email protected]

 
USGS logo

    

New Studies provide hydrologic and groundwater information on Southwest Basin-fill Aquifers

"Recent studies by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program improve our understanding of the hydrogeology and groundwater quality of unconsolidated basin-fill aquifers in the arid to semiarid Southwest, and of the natural and human factors that affect the water quality in these aquifers." Results are available in two reports describing (1) hydrologic and groundwater-quality conditions in 15 Southwest basins (available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1781/), and (2) regional conceptual models of the natural and human factors affecting groundwater quality across these basins (available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5020/). Study basins are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Questions can be directed to Susan Thiros, [email protected], 801-908-5063.  

 

 2011AnnualHeader

Register Now & Be Part of AWRA's Multidisciplenary Water Resources Community 

 

AWRA's Annual Water Resources Conference 

Hyatt Regency  I  Albuquerque, NM

November 7-10

This conference will be a world-class event covering  

practical and emerging issues in water resources.

 

300 presentations, 9 panel discussions, 75 sessions, and presenters from 41 states, 11 nations, and 5 continents  

 

GIS Water Resources Conf Logo

Call for Abstracts & Workshops Now Closed.

 

Stay tuned for a great conference.  


2012 AWRA Spring Specialty Conference

GIS & Water Resources VII

 Sheraton New Orleans I  New Orleans, LA I  March 26-28, 2012

 

GIS & Water Resources VI Proceeding, Presentations & Podcasts (2010, Orlando)

GIS & Water Resources V Podcasts (2008, San Mateo)  

 

 Save the Dates for Denver!

2012 Summer Specialty Conferences
Sheraton Denver Downtown

Denver, CO

June 25 - 29, 2012 

 
2012 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
Jacksonville, FL

November 12-15, 2012

    

JAWRA
Do you have a manuscript you're looking to publish?
Do you want to reach a large, multi-disciplinary
 audience around the world?
Consider these important JAWRA advantages:

  Current Impact Factor ~~ 1.373
 Time-to-First-Decision ~~ 84 days on average

Distribution ~~ 3,700 institutions worldwide

Easy Online Submittal System ~~ ScholarOne Manuscripts

Automated Proofing Process ~~ Wiley-Blackwell

PLUS, online manuscript tracking from submittal through publication!

 

Visit our instructions for authors 
and learn how to submit your manuscript.
Questions?  Contact [email protected]

 
 
 Water Resources Information

 A new study "Trace-Elements and Radon in Groundwater Across the U.S.1992-2003" was released in August. The report presents trace element occurrence, describes factors that influence the spatial distributions of trace elements, and compares concentrations to human-health benchmarks. This study is part of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program. For more information, go to 
USGS finds new SPAtially Reference Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models target areas for water quality improvements.  These models: 1) confirm the importance of urban and agricultural sources as major contributors of nutrients to streams and also 2) provide new information about local and regional differences in nutrient contribution from contrasting types of agricultural (farm fertilizers vs. animal manure) and urban (wastewater vs. diffuse runoff from developed land) sources. Findings are now available through the online version of 
JAWRA (the Journal of the American Water Resources Association) as well as in the October 2011 text version.    

Update on EPA's Post-Construction Regulations for Stormwater. 

Jeremy Bauer, Environmental Scientist with EPA, has let AWRA know that the agency is still planning to propose new stormwater regulation, including post-construction regulations, this fall. EPA will then finalize the ruling late next year based on received comments. Recently, several web news sources have stated that these regulations would be postponed in order for EPA to undertake more study. Groups opposed to the post-contruction regulations in particular have accused EPA of regulatory overreach. For an overview of the proposed rule, a series of approved slides are available. AWRA was informed that the majority of these slides, initially developed for tribal nation consultation, are applicable to a wider audience  (i.e., slides 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, and 24).  Related EPA udpates will be posted on this NPDES Webpage according to Mr. Bauer.    http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6  

   

VA Tech University has recently made a database on water and wastewater pipeline insfrastructure systems available. With two million miles of aging pipes underground, this database (called WATERiD) is intended to help state and local water utilities make accurate predictions of exactly when the pipes might fail.  
 Waterfootprint.org is an international effort focused on providing resources and technologies related to calculating and lessening the waterfootprint of communities, governments, businesses, families, etc.  The website includes standards and manuals as well as training resources. The next training is in Washington D.C. Nov 15-17 2011.
 

"Seawater green houses provides what may be an economical and sustainable way of producing fresh water and crops in hot, dry regions near the ocean" states an article posted on The Earth Institute of Columbia University's web site.  Seawater greenhouses grow tomatoes 

 

Back in March of 2011, The Nature Conservancy discovered that three-quarters of Americans don't know where their water comes from.  Poll on drinking water 

 

The National Committee on Levee Safety has launched a new levee safety web site that includes their recommendations and updates. Levee safety website

 

 Final guidance on Appalachian surface coal mining and issues related to wetlands, streams, and permitting issues under the Clean Water Act and other statutes - were released July 21

  

WaterSmart Awards by US Bureau of Reclamation: $2.7 million to address western states water supply and demand imbalances

  

Drinking water audits recommended by GAO The US General Accounting Office has concluded that reliable data quality impedes EPA's ability to monitor and report progress towards a reduction in the exposure of contaminants.

  

Draft report to Congress on global climate change's effects on fresh water resources within U.S This report, required by The Omnibus Public lands Act, was completed in March 2011 and includes findings related to: data gaps in water monitoring, the need for greater efficiencies in data gathering and reporting, the development of models to reflect ground water and surface water interactions, improvements in ecological resiliency among other issues. 

  

  

AWRA Career Center
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Non-AWRA Calls for Abstracts

 

"Climate Change and Water Infrastructures: Adaptation and Mitigation"

Istanbul, Turkey 

May 7-10 2012

Those interested in submitting abstracts should contact Dr. Tamim Younos (e-mail: [email protected]) by November 12

    

2012 Tahoe Science Conference at Sierra Nevada College campus,  

Incline Village, NV 

May 22-24, 2012.  

Submit Abstracts by February 3, 2012   

 

 

34th Session of the International Geological Congress

 Brisbane, Australia

August 2012

Submit abstracts by February 17, 2012  

Non-AWRA Conferences & Training Events

 


Webinar Presentation on Building Capacity for Coastal Conservation Planning
in Georgia by Ian Varley and Patrick Crist of NatureServe

 November 9, 2011 

For more information, click here. 

  

  
  University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee - School of Continuing Education

is offering a series of Water Technology Courses   

 For a link to UWM's website, click here or contact  

 Marcia Gabriel, LEED AP
Center for Sustainability
School of Continuing Education
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
phone: 414-227-3378
[email protected]
www.sce.uwm.edu   

  

   

 

 

2011 International Water Conference

  Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania

Orlando, Florida

November 13 - 17, 2011

  

 

 

Global Water Footprint Standard Training Course

November 15-17 Washington D.C. 

  

 

 

Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration

 "Preparing for Climate Change: Science, Practice, and Policy"

 Galveston, Texas

November 13-17, 2011

   

 

 

2012 AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference

Portland, OR  

March 18-21, 2012

 

 

 

NWQMC 8th National Water Monitoring Conference

Water: One Resource -- Shared Effort -- Common Future

Portland, OR

April 30 - May 4, 2012

 

 

 

IWA Congress on Water, Climate and Energy

Dublin, Ireland

May 13-18, 2012   

  

 

 

6th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration

 Tampa, Florida

 October 20-24, 2012  

 
 

  

 


AWRA sends this e-newsletter of interesting news and information about water resources to memebers of the American Water Resources Association and others interested in the activities of AWRA.  Connections is a free service of AWRA designed to build community and stimulate discussion and awareness.  Please send any comments or news items to Mary Ashton.  AWRA does not share its email list with any individual or non-AWRA organization, ever.