WRRC Weekly Wave
May 8, 2015 
Volume 3, Issue 17
  
In This Issue:
  • May 12, 2015: Retirement Reception for Jackie Moxley and Jane Cripps
  • Summer Wave Debuts May 22 
  • First TUSD C2E School: Henry Elementary

... And much more!



Upcoming Events
May 9
May 12
May 18-19
June 9-10
July 26-28
Aug. 25-27
WRRC Summer Wave e-News Digest to Debut May 22 

Keep an eye on your inbox on Friday, May 22 for the first issue of our slimmer summer version of the WRRC Weekly Wave! During the summer months, the Weekly Wave will temporarily transition to the Summer Wave, which will arrive in inboxes every other Friday. The Summer Wave will include WRRC news, events, and information, as well as local and regional water updates.
Look for news on WRRC programs like Arizona Project WET, Conserve to Enhance (C2E), Water RAPIDS (Research And Planning Innovations for Dryland Systems), GCASE (Groundwater, Climate and Stakeholder Engagement), and many more.
You'll also find helpful information on the WRRC's many outreach efforts, updates on research projects, social media news, and links to our press appearances. 
We'll return to the classic Weekly Wave in the Fall. If you've missed out on a past issue of the Weekly Wave, check out the Wave Archive here. 
First TUSD Conserve2Enhance School: Henry Elementary

On Monday, May 4, Tucson Conserve2Enhance (C2E) celebrated the unveiling of the Henry Elementary Wash Improvement & Neighborhood Sustainability (WINS) community enhancement site. Through the Tucson C2E community enhancement grant program, the Henry Elementary Project restored and enhanced the urban wash bordering school grounds, even venturing out into the surrounding neighborhood as well. During the dedication ceremony, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Superintendent Dr. H.T. Sanchez offered remarks, as did the community leaders who made this transformation possible. Local C2E representatives from Tucson Water and Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) shared information about the work that has been done and the C2E program. Henry Elementary is the first TUSD Conserve2Enhance School. Learn more about the Henry Elementary WINS community enhancement site here. 


May 18-19: Arizona Water Investigations STEM Symposia 

Arizona Project WET's Water Investigations Program (WIP) helps teachers transform their instructional practices through the integration of STEM disciplines. The Water Investigations STEM Symposium is an opportunity for students to share what they have learned through a year of studying water. On May 18 and 19 approximately 750 students from 14 Phoenix area schools will be participating in this year's Water Investigations STEM Symposia. The students will give multimedia presentations based on their experiences during a year of learning about water. The year included lessons on water supply and resources, water conservation with school and home water audits, and Field Investigations where students designed and conducted a scientific investigation in a riparian area.The symposia will be at Phoenix College, May 18-19, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Guests are invited to attend the keynote session, student presentations, and concluding awards ceremony.

Green Living AZ Magazine Features WRRC Director Sharon Megdal and C2E

In its May issue, Green Living AZ magazine celebrates strong and inspirational women who are doing amazing things in terms of sustainability, including Arizona women leading water conservation campaigns and some local and national female leaders. Among the women featured is Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Director Sharon B. Megdal. In this issue, Dr. Megdal stresses the importance of people knowing where their water comes from and gives examples of water conservation efforts in the City of Tucson, including Tucson Water's water conservation program for residential and commercial customers and the University of Arizona Conserve2Enhance (C2E) program. C2E connects connects voluntary water conservation to community action by linking participant donations, based on their water savings, to funding for local environmental enhancement projects. Click here to learn more about the C2E program. Click here to read the May issue here. 


APW Water Scene Investigation Program: A Huge Success for Gilbert


Arizona Project WET's Water Scene Investigation (WSI) program in Maricopa County engaged 738 sixth grade students in the home water audit within the Gilbert and Higley School districts. Students analyzed their own data and calculated a total projected annual water savings of 1,245,976 gallons. The WSI website enables the students to take the next step in community conservation. Data from their home water audits is calculated online and then graphed for comparison with other participants. Program Coordinator Pam Justice said "This program is exceeding the Town of Gilbert's expectations and they are thrilled with the behavioral and technology changes the students are implementing to conserve water in their homes. When the students add their savings data to the continually growing accumulation of millions of gallons of water saved per year due to water efficient aerator installation, they feel empowered in the knowledge they are making a difference in their world!"


May 12: Retirement Reception for Jackie Moxley & Jane Cripps

May and June, 2015 will be bittersweet here at the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) as we bid goodbye to two of our long-time employees. Jackie Moxley, Director of the Water Sustainability Program, will be departing in mid-June; and Jane Cripps, WRRC Administrative Associate, leaves us in late May.
Please join us in wishing them a fond farewell at a reception at the WRRC on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. The reception will be held at the WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson) and all are welcome.
For more information please contact Lynette Featherston at lfeatherston@email. arizona.edu or 621-9591.

APW Water Festival Program Wraps Up Another Great Year

Created by Arizona Project WET, the Arizona Water Festival (AWF) program has reached over 77,000 students statewide since the year 2000. This year, the program reached over 8,300 fourth graders in 325 classrooms. As planning starts for the 2015-2016 school year, AWF is on pace to have its biggest year yet. AWF program coordinator
Sean Sederstrom said "It's amazing to see so many people from all over Arizona engaged in water education. With the Water Festival program we get to interact with students, their teachers, parents, community organizers and volunteers. There's really nobody in a participating community that isn't touched by the program in some way."

NWCC Releases New Version of Interactive Climate Conditions Map

 

The National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) recently released a new version of its interactive map. This release lets users view current and historical conditions for snow water equivalent, snow depth, precipitation, streamflow, and reservoir storage. The map also provides access to predefined reports and site pages. Explore the interactive map here. 

The NWCC is the technical lead for the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program, and a large number of water and climate activities. The Center also provides resources for addressing questions on local and regional conditions, drought and climate trends.
 Learn more about NWCC here. 

Learn Water Harvesting in Three Weeks at the University of Arizona 


If you've always wanted to learn how to do water harvesting and have some time during the Summer Pre-session (May 18 to June 6), consider signing up for a three-credit hybrid or online course in Water Harvesting (ENVS 454/554). This is the first offering of the course in a hybrid format, with two days and one evening of group work and/or class meetings combined with online work. A fully online option is available with instructor approval. The co-instructors are UA water harvesting expert Grant McCormick and environmental scientist Dr. Melanie Lenart, both affiliated with the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. Click here for more information.

The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) - a unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) - promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, community outreach and engagement, and public education. The WRRC works closely with Arizona Cooperative Extension, a CALS outreach organization that  provides a statewide network of knowledgeable faculty and staff that provides lifelong educational programs for all Arizonans. For more information, visit us at wrrc.arizona.edu.