Water Resources Research Center  

April 15, 2016 / Volume 4, Issue 13           
 
Tonight on PBS 6: "Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West"

"Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West", a film by Cody Sheehy, Video Coordinator in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), will be broadcast on PBS 6 tonight, April 15, at 9 pm. The documentary will be broadcast on May 16 at 9 pm. on KAET 8.

Beyond the Mirage is a journey deep into the fascinating water story unfolding across the Western United States. It is possible to avoid the mounting risks to our economic and social systems that a water shortage would bring if we face the issues now. We can learn from countries like Israel that have already successfully navigated the treacherous seas of water insecurity to find our own way forward. 
 
More than a single film, Beyond the Mirage is a multi-faceted outreach program that will engage people of all ages in water sustainability. The program consists of a documentary presented by Arizona Public Media, an educational program that integrates curriculum into the classroom, and an innovative web experience that inspires people to create and share their own mini documentaries about water. These three platforms reinforce one another, and with the help of a tailored social media campaign, Beyond the Mirage will engage an ever-expanding audience. 
 
Join the "Beyond the Mirage" movement here, create your own documentary and share it with others.

WRRC EVENTS
Charles Bayless Returns for Second Presentation on Water-Energy-Climate Nexus
April 18, 2016 
 
Speaker: Charles Bayless, retired Chairman and CEO of Tucson Electric Power and Illinois Power.

Time/Location: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)

The WRRC will be holding a second presentation of "Perspectives of an Utility Executive on the Water-Energy-Climate Nexus" with Charles Bayless on April 18th. This is a recap of his March 29th talk. Launching from his experience as TEP Chairman and CEO, and as former President and Provost of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Mr. Bayless integrates science principles into critical global resource issues. By exploring the fundamental basis of energy production, including thermodynamic theories, he shows how understanding the water-energy-climate nexus is critical to ensuring our future sustainability.
Brown Bag Seminar- Ensuring the Safety of Recycled Water
April 20, 2016 
 
Speaker: Shane Snyder, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Professor and Co-Director of the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants, Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, University of Arizona

Time/Location: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell)

This presentation will share the latest discoveries in the move towards potable water reuse and the opportunities for collaborative cross-cutting research for solutions to future water problems.

Note: This presentation will also be webcast live via GotoWebinar.

For a complete list of upcoming Brown Bag seminars click here

WEEKLY REPORT
Conserve2EnhanceTM Rain Garden Planting Grant Project Completed

Saturday, April 9 marked the finale of Feldman Neighborhood's planting and rain garden building efforts for the Conserve2EnhanceTM grant project on 1st Avenue, traversing 4 blocks of the neighborhood. Feldman's Neighborhood received a C2E grant in 2015 to install new water harvesting curb cuts and basins and to grow native vegetation. Community members worked hard all winter, creating greener streets with their efforts. Feldman's neighbors and volunteers created stormwater features, by lining the C2E basins at St. Lukes Home with rock and planting 5 more native trees and 50+ native shrubs. Neighbors and volunteers, including UA HydroCats and Dedicated Student Philanthropists, also completed weed maintenance on one of the blocks planted earlier in the year and modified rockwork. The results are a beautiful benefit to the environment, made possible by community participation and Conserve2EnhanceTM.  

 

Middle School Students Create Beyond the Mirage's Stacks 
 
On April 22, 450 students from across the Phoenix Valley will celebrate Earth Day by viewing stacks from the Beyond the Mirage experience made by peers from other schools. Students create mini-documentaries, or "stacks," by selecting and arranging 1-minute clips focused on a single topic. Topics range from groundwater to the Colorado River to rainwater harvesting, desalinization, drought, climate change, and more.

These middle school students have been studying water for the entire year through APW's Water Investigations Program (WIP). The WIP refines students' critical and creative thinking skills and understanding of water related issues over a year of inquiry about water resources and supply, water use, and water in the natural system. Making stacks is one way for students to showcase and expand their water knowledge.

On April 22, students will evaluate one another's work. On May 6, the top two stacks from each school, a total of 10, will be posted on the APW's Facebook page. You can vote for your favorites by visiting APW's Facebook page from May 9 - 11! Voting is open to everyone. The "Oscar" awards will be presented at the Water Investigations STEM Symposia in mid-May.
Find more about the Water Investigations Program here
The Groundwater Visibility Initiative: Integrating Groundwater and Surface Water Management Workshop   
   
The National Groundwater Association and the American Water Resources Association will hold "The Groundwater Visibility Initiative: Integrating Groundwater and Surface Water Management Workshop" on April 28, 2016 in Denver, CO.

Sharon B. Megdal, WRRC Director, will give a talk in Panel 1: "What are the major impediments to conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water?" The University of Arizona will be further represented by Kathy Jacobs, Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions Director, who will give a talk on "Groundwater, Climate Change, and Resilience", in Panel 2: "How is groundwater used most effectively for adaptation and resilience?"

For more information about the workshop and registration, click here
 
WSP Program's 2015-2016 Student Fellows Present Research Results
    
This year, the Water Sustainability Program (WSP) offered fellowships to outstanding University of Arizona students studying topics relevant to water resource issues in the state of Arizona. This $10,000 dollar fellowship was awarded to each of the following Ph.D. candidates: David Hogan, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science; Shanshan Hou, Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering; Timothy Lahmers, Department of Atmospheric Science; Guangbin Li, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering; and Bradley Schmitz, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, the 2015/2016 WSP Fellows presented the results of their research and answered questions related to their contributions to water research at the University of Arizona.    

The Water Sustainability Program is part of the Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions initiative.  
 
Learn more about the WSP here 
Call for Abstracts for the Arizona Hydrological Society Annual Symposium    

The 29th Annual Symposium of the Arizona Hydrological Society "Thriving in a Tough Neighborhood, Fortune Favors the Prepared" will take place on September 14-17, 2016 in Tucson, AZ. Students, university researchers, and professionals doing research on climate change, habitat conservation, modeling, recharge, reuse, resource management, remediation, or anything in line with Arizona's water management successes and plans for a bright future are invited to submit their abstracts. Abstracts are due May 27, 2016.

Please download the abstract submission form here

Please send your abstract to Molly.Collins@tucsonaz.gov 

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER
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.