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WRRC Summer Wave
June 5, 2015
Volume 3, Issue 19
In This Issue:
- June 9-10, 2015: WRRC Annual Conference
- WRRC Director Featured on KJZZ Radio
- WRRC's Susanna Eden and Jackie Moxley Co-author Article on Water Harvesting
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Upcoming Events
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June 9-10
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June 16-18
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July 26-28
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Aug. 25-27
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"Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainable Water Practices" Conference, June 9-10 - Tours Now Available for Participants
It's finally here! "Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainable Water Practices" will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 9 and 10, at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, AZ. The conference, hosted in partnership with the Gila River Indian Community, will reflect the unique place of water in tribal life. Presenters include representatives from Arizona tribes, universities, governmental agencies, and the Arizona Legislature. The conference is open to all those interested in sustainable water practices, tribal water rights and cultural perspectives, and exploring opportunities for future water management in Arizona and beyond.
The WRRC is pleased to announce that two tours of the Gila River Indian Community's "Water Management Success Stories" will be offered at no cost to registered conference attendees on the morning of June 9 prior to the conference opening session. Participants will have the option of taking a bus tour to the Pee Posh Wetlands or the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project. Space is very limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
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WRRC Director Featured on KJZZ Radio: As Colorado River Shortage Looms, Arizona Water Managers Look Elsewhere
In May 2015, Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Director Sharon B. Megdal spoke to Will Stone from KJZZ radio about looming Colorado River shortages. In "As Colorado River Shortage Looms, Arizona Water Managers Look Elsewhere," Dr. Megdal, along with other interviewees, discussed the probability of a shortage declaration on the Colorado River in 2017 and its consequences for Arizona, in particular, Central Arizona farmers.
With a 75% probability of a shortage declaration on the Colorado River in 2017, Central Arizona farmers will be among the first to face Central Arizona Project (CAP) water cutbacks. Dr. Megdal said that economics will be the biggest factor for growers if a cutback in CAP water occurs, and discussed the likely transition of farmers from Colorado River water to groundwater in the near future. Growers will have to consider many factors, including aging groundwater infrastructure.
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WRRC Assistant Director and WSP Director Co-author Water Harvesting Article
In its May issue, Stormwater, the official journal of the world's largest stormwater conference (S tormCon), featured an article on water harvesting by Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Assistant Director Susanna Eden, Water Sustainability Program Director Jackie Moxley, Consulting Associate Jenna Cleveland, and Consultant Ann Audrey. The article, "Charting a Path Toward Integrated Water Resources," discusses the role of water harvesting in addressing present and potential water resources challenges faced by the Southwestern U.S., a region with fast-growing cities and changing climatic conditions. The article explains the various benefits of water harvesting, including mitigating flooding issues and reducing urban heat island effect, and looks at the challenges and opportunities for implementing water harvesting in Arizona and the Southwest. The article also describes the WRRC's Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox, which provides guidance for communities on implementing water harvesting.
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Water RAPIDS Summer 2015 Newsletter: Looking Back and Moving Forward
The Water Research and Planning Innovations for Dryland Systems (Water RAPIDS) program released the summer 2015 issue of its newsletter highlighting the program's achievements during FY2015. In the past year, the Water RAPIDS Program engaged a record number of participants, with over 2000 people participating in more than 70 outreach activities.
The program's goal is to help communities balance a secure water future for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors with the water demands of the natural environment.Current Water RAPIDS projects include:
- Conserve2Enhance,
- Environmental Flows Database, and
- Watershed Planning in the Upper Gila Watershed.
Each project has had tremendous success during FY2015 and the Water RAPIDS team is looking forward to working with Arizona communities to further improve water management and planning in the state. To read the Summer 2015 Newsletter, click here. To learn out more about the Water RAPIDS program, click here.
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Another Successful Year for APW's Water Investigations Program
Arizona Project WET's Water Investigations Program (WIP) wrapped up another successful year of water education for middle and high school students in the Phoenix area with the Water Investigations STEM Symposia. Phoenix College hosted two symposia in which students shared multi-media presentations based on their experiences during the WIP. On May 18, approximately 440 students from 8 schools gave presentations, with Mountainside Middle School in Scottsdale, Copper Trails Elementary in Goodyear, and Copper King Elementary in Phoenix receiving Science Academy Awards for their presentations. A t the May 19th Symposium where 315 students from 6 schools presented, Highland Lakes Elementary in Glendale received first and second place in the Science Academy Awards with Phoenix's Bethune School placing third. The WIP focuses on introducing students to real world STEM activities and future career possibilities, and the symposia offer students an opportunity to participate in a scientific meeting to share their work, just as professional research scientists would. Learn more about the WIP here.
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WRRC Welcomes New Staff Melissa Faulk and Claire Zucker
This month, the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) welcomed two new staff to its team. Melissa Faulk is the new Administrative Associate, replacing Jane Cripps, and Claire Zucker is the new Water Sustainability Program Director, replacing Jackie Moxley. Melissa Faulk will be providing support for the WRRC Administration and the Director, Sharon B. Megdal. She will also oversee day-to-day management at the WRRC. She can be reached at 520-621-2526 or
Claire Zucker is the administrative lead for WSP and a member of the team that manages the Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions (WEES) initiative. She can be reached at
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2015 Montgomery & Associates Summer Intern Selected
The new Montgomery & Associates Summer Writing Intern at the WRRC is Nejlah Hummer, a student in the Master of Planning program at the University of Arizona. Nejlah was selected from a large pool of talented applicants from all three Arizona universities. She is a native of Tucson, AZ and completed her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. She has a deep and long-standing interest in the challenges of water scarcity and sustainable water use. The internship offers the opportunity to hone her skills in research and writing on the topic of potable water reuse. This internship is made possible by support from Montgomery & Associates, an Arizona-based consulting firm specializing in hydrology and water resource issues.
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WRRC Associate Director Jean McLain to Travel to Myanmar
On June 18, Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Associate Director Jean McLain will travel to Yangon, Myanmar, joining a team of researchers on the project, "Developing a Sustainable Seafood Industry Infrastructure in Myanmar." This project, led by Kevin Fitzsimmons, the Director of International Programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is funded by US-AID. Researchers from the U.S. will collaborate with Yangon University (YU) and the private and public sectors to move the Myanmar seafood industry into the global market. Dr. McLain is working with YU researchers to establish a laboratory and train workers in seafood safety testing practices.
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Keep up with WRRC News and Events on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Keep the WRRC in your news feed by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter! Get easy access to WRRC news, event notices, videos, photos, awards, volunteer opportunities, and much more.
Past WRRC seminars, lectures, events, Water Sustainability Program Presentations, and media appearances can be seen on our YouTube page.
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/AZWRRC.
Find and follow us on Twitter at @AZWRRC.
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