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The Media of Water
warns of the consequences.
"Hydrofracking" webinar on December 1st to look at "friction over fracking" Click here for registration. Announcement Section below includes agenda.
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 New Study Finds that California Agriculture is Using Water Efficiently
"Claims that California farmers are wasteful ... when it comes to managing water suppliesare inaccurate" according to a study released last week by CA State University's Center for Irrigation Technology. This study goes on to say that large volumes of "new water" available through conservation do not exist. Among other key findings is the problem of overdrafting approximately 2 million acre-feet of groundwater per year. Click here for report
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. The Media of Water cont'd
This month, the U.N.'s Panel on Climate Change issued on the dangers of global warming and extreme weather such as heat waves, floods, droughts and storms.... Meanwhile ...
Conservative, anti-global warming scientist Barry Bickmore has turned from global warming skeptic to advocate. Click here for comments and video
And here's an amazing video that shows you 
Graphite-coated sand grains may be a solution to contaminated drinking water in developing countries according to BBC Mobile News.
The lead scientist of the study, Professor Pulickel Ajayan, said it was possible to modify the graphite oxide in order to make it more selective and sensitive to certain pollutants - such as organic contaminants or specific metals in dirty water. To view the study abstract, click here. AWRA's President, Michael Campana is on YouTube. His presentation at the International Water Forum at the U.N. focused on the lack of appreciation for groundwater. "We're depleting groundwater faster than it's recharging... In California, as a resulting of withdrawing groundwater, some areas have sunk as much as 30 feet... If you pollute ground water it may show up in your streams; if you pollute your streams, it may show up in your groundwater... I'd like to see groundwater given more respect... and groundwater more fully integrated into planning and management."
North Indian business sells clean water and access to health care simultaneously. "For too long companies have ignored the opportunity to make a profit by meeting the needs of people at the bottom of the economic pyramid," says Amit Jain, CEO of Healthpoint. So Healthpoint is selling 600 liters of clean water for $1.50 a month. Because of the vast contamination of water resources by agricultural pollutants, etc customers are eager to fill up plastic jugs with filtered water while visiting the Healthpoint clinic for healthcare. For more on this NPR story, click here.
Evan Abramson, the 32-year-old creator of this video, spent two months living among African herding communities and documenting what has been called "the world's first climate-change conflicts."
"The science behind climate change is under fire ... with only half the US public agreeing that it's happening." According to author Steve Sherwood, insights as to why this denial continues may be gained from "inconvenient truths" of the past such as the heliocentric model of Copernicus. This article appears in the October 2011 edition of Physics Today.
According to Climate Policy News, Australia passed domestic climate legislation earlier this month. Included in the package are financial incentives to promote clean energy technologies; a jobs and competitiveness program; a carbon pricing mechanism; a range of new and existing measures to encourage energy efficiency; and incentives for the farming, forestry and land sectors to reduce carbon pollution and increase the amount of carbon stored on the land. Click here for an overview of the Clean Energy Legislative Package.
Northwest Oyster Die-Offs Show Ocean Acidification has Arrived
Ocean acidification - which makes it difficult for shellfish, corals, sea urchins, and other creatures to form the shells or calcium- based structures
they need to live - was supposed to be a problem of the future. But because of patterns of ocean circulation, Pacific Northwest shellfish are already on the front lines of these potentially devastating changes in ocean chemistry.
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AWRA
Member News
Renew NOW for 2012or "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 protecting and managing of our water resources ... together.
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| AWRA State Section Activities
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Connections
The E-Newsletter of the
American Water Resources Association
November 2011
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"Water shortages are caused by water management institutions that ignore scarcity. Economic tools can efficiently and fairly manage scarce water."
Dear Friend of AWRA,
Education and research has always been part of AWRA's mission.
This year's Annual Water Resources Conference held in Albuquerque (November 7-10) extended this mission to 461 water resources professionals and students from around the world. Some I met and talked with, despite my sad case of laryngitis, included those below.
David Zetland - a senior water economist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, author of "The End of Abundance: Economic solutions and Water Scarcity", frequent blogger ( http://www.aguanomics.com), new AWRA member, and first time conference attendee - gave a presentation on "Water Marketing in the United States". About the conference, he said in his blog: "I had the opportunity to meet people I'd "talked" to for several years: Michael Campana (President of the AWRA, aka Aquadoc @ WaterWired), Cynthia Barnett (author of Blue Revolution), John Fleck (journalist and blogger @ Inkstain), Charlie Fishman (author of The Big Thirst).... Most of the AWRA program was technical and scientific, devoted to river morphology, water treatment, models of climate change impacts, etc., so I had the opportunity to learn from the scientists and give some economist opinions." Sarah Rutkowski, a student at Purdue, attended the conference for the first time as well, thanks to the support she received through the Indiana Water Resources Association, a state section of AWRA. In a session on Water Quality moderated by Milan Kluko of FountainHead Engineering, Sarah shared her award winning presentation on "Quantifying Subsurface Drainage using the Variable Infiltration Capacity Model."
"I was so pleased that the audience understood the message I was trying to get across and seemed eager to learn more. Several members approached me afterwards to learn how agriculture in the Midwest was influencing nitrate loads and the Gulf of Mexico."
Regarding other sessions Sarah attended, "I learned about issues that encompassed all aspects of water resources ... One topic of particular interest was about contaminated groundwater caused by a road salt storage facility located too close to a well head protection area in Ohio. "Since we use tons of road salts all over Indiana and with groundwater being our main drinking water, this is a very serious concern."
Johnny Sundstrom, Director of the Siuslaw Institute, a locally-based, not-for-profit dedicated to the "sustainable improvement of community and habitat in the Coast Range of Oregon, particularly in the Siuslaw River Basin" came to the conference to share and learn information about river restoration. His poster session topic was " International River Foundation and Prize, International River Symposium".
Regarding the story behind his poster, Johnny said, "Today in Oregon's Siulaw River Basin, with fish stocks and forest reserves seriously diminished, we've begun to restore the natural functions of the landscape. When we started, Coho salmon alone were less than 4% of their historic abundance. Forests, once stretching inland from the coast, had been broken up. Timber harvesting had turned giant trees into billions of board feet, one of the largest extraction of timber in the history of the world. With the passing of the Endangered Species Act regarding the Northern Spotted Owl, all harvesting came to an abrupt end however and the river, land, and communities were left in a degraded state. Then, through years of partnership building, restoration, networking, and community education by the Siuslaw Basin Partnership, our "whole river basin" approach to restoration was recognized by the International Thiess Riverprize and awarded $100,000 (Aus). Today, as an extension of that prize, we are paired-up with salmon habitat restoration efforts in Russia to share expertise and support. Being at this conference enables me to connect with others involved in river, land, and community restoration work as well as share the work of the International River Foundation based in Australia." (More information can be found at http://siuslawinstitute.org/)
It was great talking with David, Sarah, and Johnny and many others of you (I appreciate you putting up with my squeaking voice!) I also attended sessions on a National Water Vision and Strategy, Integrated Water Resources Management, and Climate Change. The last topic - Climate Change - is a topic that's been covered widely in recent news and, consequently, in The Media of Water to your left with some interesting new events and releases.(Scroll down the whole column to find all of them.) The other two topics: National Water Vision and Integrated Water Resources Management will be covered in upcoming newsletters.
If you were able to attend this year's conference, I truly hope you enjoyed it. To help gather your feedback and suggestions for next year's 48th annual conference in Jacksonville, a survey will be sent to you in the near future. Completing it would be wonderful.
For those not attending the conference, proceedings are posted on the AWRA website now through March, and PowerPoint presentations will be added as they become available.
AWRA's Spring Specialty Conference on GIS will be taking place in New Orleans.
Best wishes for the holiday weeks ahead,
Mary
Mary Ashton
AWRA
540.687.8390
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
50th Anniversary of the Delaware River Basin Commission serving 15 million people and a basin of 13,549 square miles - today's gold standard of Integrated Water Resources Management Established on October 21, 1961, the Delaware River Basin Commission was a breakthrough in water resources management. For the first time, the federal government and a group of states joined together to create a regional body with the force of law to oversee a unified approach to managing a river system without regard to political boundaries. The Delaware, fed by 216 tributaries, is the longest un-dammed river in the United States east of the Mississippi, extending 330 miles from the confluence of its East and West branches at Hancock, N.Y. to the mouth of the Delaware Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.
According to Alexander Muller, Assistant Director General, Natural Resources Management of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, water requirements for food in 2050 will require the capacity of 55 Aswan Dams every year, exposing the world to a progressive and critical increase in water scarcity including climate change impacts. Müller made this presentation on Water and Food Security at the opening session of The World Water Council Winter Board of Governors meeting held mid-November in Rome: Muller Slide Presentation - Water & Food Security. A brief summary is also available on the World Water Day website.
 The Indiana Water Resources Research Center invites faculty from all Indiana colleges and universities to submit proposals for possible funding in the areas of water reources and related land-use issues. The IWRRC grant program is supported by an annual grant from the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, as part of the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1984. The submission deadline is December 13, 2011. Call for Proposals can be found at http://www.iwrrc.org/funding.html Contact Amy Wright, wrightaj@purdue.edu, for questions.
Last of three Hydraulic Fracturing Webcast events December 1.
Registration is still open. For registration details click here.
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This program will start with an overview of the pending drinking water study to be conducted by U.S. EPA with Jeanne Briskin, from EPA's Office of Science Policy, Office of Research and Development, presenting. Next, Dr. Joseph Romm with the Center for American Progress and the popular blog, Climate Progress, will discuss possible impacts on humans and ecosystems if proper techniques are not in place, or if accidents occur at any stage of the process. Dr. Donald Siegel of Syracuse University will conclude with a discussion about the extent of potential natural gas supplies in shale within the United States. He will consider how drilling and recovery could be done safely with relatively minor impacts to humans or ecosystems provided adequate safeguards are employed throughout the process.
 The Clean Water America Alliance has released its latest report, Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure. The report summarizes ongoing green infrastructure research and education programs of the Alliance. Recommendations were developed and refined through conversations with partner organizations including American Rivers, The Conservation Fund, Low Impact Development Center, Smart Growth America, and the Alliance's Urban Water Sustainability Council. Unlike grey infrastructure such as pipes, pumps, and tunnels, green infrastructure uses or mimics natural processes to infiltrate, evapo-transpire, or reuse stormwater and runoff on the site where it is generated.
 NOAA's most recent forecast in October says devastating drought is likely to continue in the Southern Plains. In addition, La Niña, which returned in August, will gradually strengthen, continue through the upcoming winter, and be associated with cooler than normal water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean and other influences throughout the world.
The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking proposals for water management Improvements in the West; due by January 19, 2012. The funding opportunity announcement is available at Bureau of Reclamation Info
Applications may be submitted to one of two funding groups:
- Funding Group I: Up to $300,000 for small projects that may take up to two years to complete.
- Funding Group II: Up to $1,500,000 will be available for larger, phased projects that will take up to three years to complete.
Proposals must seek to conserve and use water more efficiently, increase the use of renewable energy and improve energy efficiency, benefit endangered and threatened species, facilitate water markets, or carry out activities to address climate-related impacts on water or prevent any water-related crisis or conflict.
Call for Abstracts for AWRA's 2012 Summer Specialty Conferences in Denver, Colorado. Due date February 6, 2012.
- 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
More information on AWRA's website.  A forthcoming report of the Organzation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
"Environmental Outlook to 2050" warns that "global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase" and "will continue to alter precipitation patterns, melt glaciers, cause sea level rise and intensify extreme weather events to unprecedented levels." The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) will be among the delegations gathering in Durban led by its Chief Margareta Wahlstrom who is of the opinion, according to the UNISDR website, that "the link between disasters and catastrophic events we are seeing all over the world is enough to link climate change and increasing weather hazards conclusively together ... Even the most passionate naysayers should be able to see this by now. The OECD report quite clearly tells us what we are to expect and more importantly what we have to do."
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, sthiros@usgs.gov, 801-908-5063.
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Call for Abstracts & Workshops Now Closed.
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)
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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
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PLUS, online manuscript tracking from submittal through publication!
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Water Resources Information
A 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
Transforming Landscapes, Transforming Lives: The Business of Sustainable Water Buffer Management
Recently published and free online, this book focuses on the development of water buffers, sustainable land management,and the business case underneath these technologies. Its messages include: focus on recharge, retention and reuse; approach different land areas differently; and respect the links between land, moisture, groundwater, rivers, and the economy. The publication includes 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 development.
Model Water Recycling 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 additional website is devoted to recyled water in Australia.
The Western States Water Council has 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.
Water-born Guinea Worm Eradicated 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
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
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 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. "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
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.
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AWRA Career Center
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AWRA Career Center is the premier electronic recruitment resource for the industry. Here, employers and recruiters can access the most qualified talent pool with relevant work experience to fulfill staffing needs.
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Whether you're looking for a new job, or ready to take the next step in your career, we'll help you find the opportunity that's right for you.
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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
gabrielm@uwm.edu
www.sce.uwm.edu
Marseille, France March 12-17, 2012 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 Environmental Restoration of Climate Change Tahoe Science Conference Incline Village, NV May 22-24, 2012 6th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Tampa, Florida October 20-24, 2012
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