WRRC Weekly Wave 
October 2, 2015 
Volume 3, Issue 30

In This Issue:
  • Oct. 8 Brown Bag: A Case Study in Efficiency - Agriculture and Water Use in the Yuma, Arizona Area
  • Nov. 6, 2015: Sustainable Water for Southern Arizona
  • Mar. 21, 2016: WRRC Annual Conference

Upcoming Events
Oct. 8
Oct. 7-9 
Oct. 15-16
Oct. 19
Oct. 29
Nov. 4
Sustainable Water for Southern Arizona: Current Conditions and Future Prospects, Nov. 6, 2015 

The Central Arizona Project and the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) invite you to register for "Sustainable Water for Southern Arizona: Current Conditions and Future Prospects," an important regional discussion about our most critical natural resource and its impact on our economy, environment, and way of life. 

The discussion will be held Friday, November 6, 2015 from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Leo Rich Theater at the Tucson Convention Center. 
Hosted in partnership with the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Southern Arizona Water Users Association, and KXCI Radio, the discussion is free and open to the public. 

The program will feature a keynote address by Arizona Department of Water Resources Director, Tom Buschatzke, and a panel moderated by WRRC Director Sharon B. Medal. 

View agenda 

To register, please RSVP at wrrc@email.arizona.edu or call (520) 621-4311. 
Presentation: A Case Study in Efficiency - Agriculture and Water Use in the Yuma, Arizona Area 
Speakers: N.W. "Bill" Plummer, President of the Agribusiness and Water Council of Arizona, and Dr. Paul Brown, University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Time/Location: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)

Zach Sugg
Presentation: Pumps, Pipelines, and Property Rights: Legal and Political Challenges for Decentralized Groundwater Governance in Central Texas 
Speaker: Zach Sugg, PhD candidate in Geography, School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona
Time/Location: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)

Doug Bennett 
Presentation: Conservation Loves A Crisis: Lessons from North America's Driest City
Speaker: Doug Bennett, Conservation Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority 
Time/Location: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)


WRRC Watershed Planning Project Featured in Eastern Arizona Courier 
In a recent article, "Looking to the Gila River watershed's future," the Eastern Arizona Courier featured the Water RAPIDS (Water Research and Planning Innovations for Dryland Systems) program and its two years of work in the Upper Gila Watershed.

Working with its partners in the watershed and through funding by the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the Water RAPIDS program completed a set of four scenarios to help guide watershed planning. The resulting report, "Scenarios for the Upper Gila Watershed," incorporates extensive research and stakeholder input to assess the future of the watershed and discuss how communities will plan for uncertainty and change. Over the next two years, through additional funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Water RAPIDS team will work with the communities in the watershed to plan for the future using the scenarios and a water supply and demand study.

WRRC to Participate in 2015 WaterSmart Innovations Conference

The 8th Annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition will be held on Oct. 7-9, 2015 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV. Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the conference focuses on urban water-efficiency practices, programs, and policies and offers a wide range of pre-show workshops, post-show technical tours, poster sessions, and more.

WRRC Assistant Director Susanna Eden and Arizona Project WET Director Kerry Schwartz will be giving presentations at the Conference on a "New Water Harvesting Assessment Tool for the Desert Southwest" and "Working Smarter to Offer Transformative Learning for the 21st Century," respectively. WRRC Graduate Research Assistant Christopher Fullerton will also be participating in the Conference during the poster sessions on Oct. 7. Fullerton will present the Conserve2Enhance (C2E) Dashboard, a free, easy-to-use tool for C2E participants to track and monitor their in-home water use.

March 21, 2016: WRRC Annual Conference: #AZwaterfuture

On March 21, 2016, the WRRC is holding its 2016 Annual Conference from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the University of Arizona Student Union.

The conference will explore emerging technologies, policies, and practices proposed to secure Arizona's water needs in the near and distant future.

WRRC conferences generally draw over 300 people from government, academia, the water community, non-profits, business, universities, Native American communities, and the public. 


WRRC Welcomes New Employee: Ashley Hullinger 

The WRRC Water RAPIDS program welcomes a new permanent staff person to the team. Ashley Hullinger will officially start as a Research Coordinator this month after a year and a half as a Graduate Research Assistant with Water RAPIDS. 

Her work during that time included research and stakeholder engagement for Watershed Planning in the Upper Gila, as well as support for the C2E Program. Her C2E experience will be useful moving forward as she takes over implementing the C2E business plan. 

Ashley graduated from the University of Arizona in the spring of 2015 with a M.S. in Urban Planning and holds B.A. degrees in Geography and History from the University of Kansas.

WRRC Accepting 104(b) Research Grant Proposals Through 11/18

The WRRC invites proposals for research grants under the Water Resources Research Act, Section 104(b). Funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Section 104(b) program provides support for research projects on water-related issues of importance to Arizona and the region. The WRRC expects to award three grants of approximately $10,000, contingent on program funding. Projects are funded for 12 months. Funded projects start March 1, 2016, contingent on federal budget approval.

Faculty members at the three Arizona state universities may submit proposals. Researchers in the social, biological, physical and engineering sciences, as well as such fields as water management, water law, economics, and public health are invited to apply.
Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

Water - Use it Wisely Lists Project WET as Perfect Resource for Teachers 

Water - Use it Wisely, a campaign promoting an ongoing water conservation ethic among Arizona's rapidly growing population, lists Arizona Project WET as the number one "perfect" resource from UA on their resource website
for teachers and educators. 

Arizona Project WET's mission is to promote responsible water stewardship through excellent and effective water education. The program develops water stewardship and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) literacy by providing teacher professional development focused on 21st century skills, direct student outreach that delivers or extends classroom learning, and community engagement.

CAP-SRP Collaborate to Bring Water Awareness to Millennial Audience

For the last ten years, the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and the Salt River Project (SRP) have been partnering on a yearly communications campaign to raise awareness about water resources management and drought in Arizona.

This year, their joint communications campaign focuses on reaching the millennial audience through Buzzfeed, a social news and entertainment outlet with a high number of millennial readers. 

The Buzzfeed listicle, titled "Life in Arizona: Expectations vs. Reality," debunks some myths about living in Arizona and aims to drive millennials to a new website created by CAP and SRP, droughtfacts.com. The website's objective is to correct myths about Arizona's water supplies and preparedness for drought.

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 statewide non-formal education networking bringing research-based information into communities to help people improve their lives. For more information, visit us at wrrc.arizona.edu.