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Water Resources Research Center
Jan. 15, 2016 / Volume 4, Issue 1
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Patrick O'Toole - "Spreading the Water: Connecting Agriculture and Conservation in the Western U.S."
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The University of Arizona's Water Sustainability Program (WSP) presents its 2016 Distinguished Speaker: Patrick O'Toole, the President of the Family Farm Alliance, a national trade and agricultural advocacy group, Mr. O'Toole will speak on January 29th about the connection between agricultural and conservation activities as they relate to water in the Western U.S.
For generations, American family farmers and ranchers have grown food and fiber for the world. Innovations are needed to help agriculture practices adapt to limited water resources and a variety of climate change impacts. As a WSP Distinguished Speaker, Patrick O'Toole will share his perspective on how federal policies and regulations can affect range agriculture, irrigated agriculture, and conservation. Mr. O'Toole is actively engaged in discussions to build collaborative, partnership-driven approaches and will share his insights about these processes and outcomes.
Patrick O'Toole is the President of the Family Farm Alliance, a former member of Wyoming's House of Representatives, and a rancher and hay grower with strong backgrounds in irrigated agriculture and politics. He serves on a variety of boards addressing agriculture and conservation including the Advisory Committee for Agree, a national agricultural policy group. Ladder Ranch, where he lives with his wife Sharon, has been in her family since 1881 and is the recipient of the prestigious 2014 Leopold Conservation Award.
The presentation will take place on January 29th in the University of Arizona ENR2 Building, Room S107, at 1:30 pm.
It will be followed by a reception and refreshments.
Water Sustainability Program (WSP)
photo: Paul Baughman
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Public Adaptation Through the Backdoor: Can We Move to Adaptive Water Governance?
Friday, January 22, 2016
Speaker: Abigail York, Senior Sustainability Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University (ASU) and Associate Professor of Governance and Public Policy, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, ASU.
Time/Location: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)
Note: This presentation will also be webcast live via GotoWebinar.
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Speaker: Jeff Tannler, Statewide AMA Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources; with comments from John Mawhinney, Chairman, Tucson AMA Groundwater Users Advisory Committee and Authority Member, Arizona Water Banking Authority
Time/Location: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell Ave.)
For a complete list of upcoming brown bag seminars click here.
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WRRC 2016 Annual Conference Early Bird Registration Now Open
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) will hold its 2016 Annual Conference, #AZwaterfuture: Tech, Talk, and Tradeoffs, to consider emerging technologies, communication strategies, and policies to meet Arizona's water needs into the future. Do not miss this opportunity to engage in a unique exploration of new ideas and innovative pathways for water management.
Early bird registration for the WRRC's 2016 Annual Conference, "#AZwaterfuture: Tech, Talk, and Tradeoffs," is now open. Register at the early bird rate of just $100 through February 19 (registration after February 19 is $125). Students are welcome to register for a special rate of $45. |
Desert Flow Database Now Available
The WRRC and Northern Arizona University have released the Desert Flows Database, a compilation of over 400 peer-reviewed articles, reports, and book chapters from the watersheds that touch the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave Deserts. This expanded and improved database now includes a new, easy-to-use interface for querying data. Funding for this project was provided by the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Information about environmental water needs is included from studies that were expressly conducted to answer questions about flow needs as well as studies performed for other purposes. This January 2016 updated Desert Flows Database contains data through July 2015. The database also contains tabular data that can be linked to geospatial data on river segments studied. To download the database and guide to using the database click here. For questions about the database please contact klacroix@email.arizona.edu
The Desert LCC will host a Webinar on the Database next Wednesday 1/20 at 2pm MST to register click here.
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Arizona Project WET Helps to Create Habitat for Monarch Butterflies near Downtown Phoenix
Arizona Project WET Monarch butterfly habitat creation was recently featured in a national newsletter published by the EPA. Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area reached out to Arizona Project WET, a project of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to help expand the Monarchs habitat.The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration area includes a five mile stretch of the Rio Salado, located south of downtown Phoenix, AZ. The purpose of the restoration effort is to rehabilitate the native wetland and riparian habitat associated with the river that once flowed year-round. Efforts led by the City of Phoenix, the State of Arizona, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have ensured the creation of basins that hold water year-around, creating wildlife habitat and attracting many birds and mammal species.
Recently there has been an increase in the number of Monarch butterflies in the Rio Salado area. In 2014 Project WET, received support from the EPA in the form of funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. With this funding, Project WET was able to add the Monarch Butterfly habitat creation into their existing program. For this purpose, UA formed partnerships with the Nina Mason Pulliam Audubon Center, the Southwest Monarch Study, and the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Areas (City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation). Together, they engaged 1,400 students and 51 teachers in creating 2.5 acres of habitat for Monarch butterflies. Additionally, an Americorps National Civilian Community Corps team provided supervision for students as they installed plants, irrigation systems, and eradicated invasive species.
Arizona Project WET |
Watershed Management Group becomes a C2E Business Participant
Conserve2Enhance is pleased to welcome the Watershed Management Group (WMG) to the program as a business participant. WMG will join the ranks of other Tucson C2E business participants, such as Borderlands Brewery, Diablo Burger, and Panda Express. WMG's involvement in Tucson C2E has been invaluable since the pilot program first started in 2011 and collaboration between the WRRC, Tucson Water, the Sonoran Institute, and WMG created the first-ever C2E pilot program. By becoming a Tucson C2E business participant, WMG will provide even greater support for the program by tracking their substantial water savings and donating through the C2E Dashboard. Businesses participating in C2E give back to their community by implementing changes that are both business smart and water smart. By joining a growing network of regional businesses, WMG and C2E work together to promote awareness about our most precious resource - water. View a brochure detailing the benefits C2E can bring to your business here or visit conserve2enhance.org to learn more about the program. |
Little Colorado River Plateau Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. IX Annual Winter Watershed Conference
The Little Colorado River Plateau IX Annual Winter Watershed Conference will be held in Arizona's White Mountains and this year's theme is "Natural Resources and Economic Development". For the past 10 years, this important natural resource event takes place in northeastern Arizona and this year the conference will be held at the famous X Diamond Ranch near Grear and Springerville/Eager, AZ from Wednesday January 27th through January 29th. Ashley Hullinger from the WRRC and Andy Romance from Dibble Engineering will be among the presenters with a talk entitled "Forest to Faucet"-Comprehensive Water Resources and Watershed Management. For further information and registration please visit www.winterwatershedconference.org |
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER
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The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) - A unit of the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Arizona Cooperative Extension - promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, community outreach and engagement, and public education.
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