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January 13, 2017 / Volume 5, Issue 2
UCOWR/NIWR Conference Call for Abstracts  
The University Council on Water Resources and National Institute of Water Resources Conference Planning Committee, chaired by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, has announced the call for abstracts for the June 10-15, 2017 conference, Water in a Changing Environment, being held in Ft. Collins, CO. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations must be submitted electronically by January 20, 2017 and should not exceed 300 words.  All accepted abstracts will be published as part of the Conference Proceedings. UA faculty and students are encouraged to consider presenting research.

To submit an abstract, click here. 

For more information about the conference, click here. 
WRRC EVENTS
WRRC Brown Bag Seminar -
"Agua Dulce"
January 19, 2017

Time/Location:  12:00 - 1:15 p.m. / WRRC Sol Resnick Conference Room (350 N. Campbell Ave.)  
  
Speaker: Tim Thomure, Director, Tucson Water

I n early November, Tucson Water unveiled a plan that could restore a vibrant ecosystem to the long-dry stretch of the Santa Cruz River through downtown Tucson. Tucson Water has developed an innovative plan for the "Agua Dulce" project, that would route recycled water, currently being used to restore the Santa Cruz River in far Northwest Tucson, to the Santa Cruz riverbed in Central Tucson. 
   
Join us to learn more about plans for this innovative project.
 
If you can't make it to the live seminar on Jan. 19th, join us online   here

 
For a preview on the plans for Agua Dulce, tune in to KVOA 1030 AM Tuesday, January 17 at 4:00 pm.  WRRC Associate Director Jean McLain and Tucson Water Director Tim Thomure will join the "Mike Check" show with host Mike Shaw. At showtime you can listen to a livestream of the broadcast here.   
WRRC Annual Chocolate Festival:
Picturing Chocolate and Water
 
February 10, 2017

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

Feature Presentation: Greg Griffin, "Best in Show" WRRC Photo contest winner on nature photography.
  
Don't miss the 13th Annual WRRC Chocolate Fest! Share your favorite treats and try sinfully spectacular creations from other water lovers. This year's event will be about chocolate and the WRRC photo contest winners! Relax, catch up with friends, and enjoy chocolate delicacies!
OTHER EVENTS
SWES Colloquium - Rethinking Rivers, the Water Cycle and the Human Connection: STEM Education

January 23, 2017

Time/Location: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. / Marley Building, Room 230 (1145 E 4 St.)
  
Speaker: Kerry Schwartz , Director, Arizona Project WET

With over 30 years working in the water resources field and 17 in the field of education, Kerry Schwartz currently directs the Arizona Project WET (APW) water education program. This statewide program develops water stewardship and STEM literacy through innovative pathways that include teacher professional development and direct student outreach. Kerry directs a team of education coordinators working out of three extension offices and sustains partnerships with over 30 corporations, foundations, and governmental agencies. Her master's degree in geohydrology and 8 years of experience in environmental consulting enable her to deepen content knowledge about water resources with real world examples. 
   
University of Arizona, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension -
Smartscape 101 Series
February 13 - March 8, 2017
Monday and Wednesdays  

Time/Location: 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. / Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office (4341 East Broadway Road Phoenix, AZ 85040)  
  
Speaker: See course flyer for list of class speakers and topics.
 
Smartscape is a comprehensive, research - based professional training program specifically designed to educate landscape professionals on the fundamentals of designing, installing, irrigating, and maintaining attractive, water-efficient landscapes. This Smartscape course delivers 20 hours of high-quality education on the best irrigation and horticultural practices for the desert southwest. For $95, students receive a Smartscape manual with valuable information and materials, instruction from experts in the green industry, the opportunity to get 20 International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) continuing education units, as well as Arizona chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (AzASLA) continuing education units. Graduates of the course receive a certificate of completion from the University of Arizona.  Seats are limited and fill fast, so register today!

Click here for information or to register.

For questions, email Kaitlin Poe-Orsburn, Smartscape Program Coordinator Sr.,  or call
(602) 827-8206.
 
NEWS
WRRC Accepting Preproposals
for 104g Grants
 
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR), is requesting proposals for the Water Resources Research National Competitive Grants Program, FY 2017 (104g). Research projects may address a range of topics aimed at improving and enhancing the nation's water supply. Any investigator at an accredited institution of higher learning is eligible to apply.
Arizona based researchers should send preproposals to the WRRC to forward to the USGS National Program Office for review. The WRRC must receive the preproposal before 5:00 PM Eastern Time, February 15, 2017. Up to 30 preproposals from across the U.S. will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the USGS and university scientists are encouraged. Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in federal funds. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from non-federal sources.
For more information,
click here.
 

Contact Susanna Eden with questions. 

To view the Request for Proposals, click here.  
WRRC Annual Conference - Registration Open Next Week!
 
The WRRC 2017 Annual Conference, Irrigated Agriculture in Arizona: A Fresh Perspective, will be held on Tuesday, March 28 at the University of Arizona Student Union. This conference will cover a diversity of information on agricultural water use in Arizona from the perspective of water users, regulatory agencies, and research scientists. To take advantage of our early bird registration rates, look for a special email announcing the opening of registration early next week!

For the conference agenda and additional information, click here.

New Team Members Expand Arizona Project WET's Breadth and Depth!
  

Arizona Project WET is pleased to welcome two new team members!  Barbara Owens joins APW from the Seattle/Puget Sound region where she studied marine biology and worked for 15 years in the environmental education field. Barbara's experience growing up in a small town in a home that relied on a well that sometimes ran dry in the summer taught her the importance of environmental awareness - a valuable asset in her position as instructional specialist, senior with the Arizona Water Festival and Aqua STEM Programs.

Michelle Ly is an Americorps member working jointly with APW and The Nature Conservancy. Early in her career, Michelle was unsure of how to leverage her degree in biology towards work that satisfied her passion for conservation and environmental justice until she was introduced to education through an outreach tutoring program. In her current position, she enjoys working with kids and loves seeing that moment when ideas click.
Welcome, Barbara and Michelle!

Learn more about the APW team here.
Spring Semester Networking Opportunities (and Free Lunch!) for Students Studying Arizona Water
  
Students, have you heard about the AZ Water Association's Monthly Luncheon? Generally held on the first Thursday of each month during the semester at the Hotel Tucson City Center in downtown Tucson, the AZ Water Luncheon not only hosts a speaker from an Arizona water industry, it also includes lunch and a raffle drawing. Best of all, sponsors provide funding for four students to attend each monthly luncheon free of charge! If you are interested in this monthly networking opportunity, email Shawn-Noel Simmons to be added to the contact list for the monthly luncheons. You will be contacted as openings become available. 

To learn more about the AZ Water Association, click here.
San Pedro Aquifer Report Released
  
A new collaborative report about the binational San Pedro River Aquifer is now available from both the United States and Mexico. The International Boundary and Water Commission, the Mexican National Water Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Universities of Arizona and Sonora released this report on December 20, 2016. This marks the first time that federal government and university scientists from both countries have collaborated to collect data and prepare binational and bilingual databases and maps of the aquifer. Findings in this report improve the understanding of groundwater flow and will create a foundation for future studies, advancing our knowledge of the hydrology of the binational aquifer.

To read this report, click here.   
Groundwater Management Directions
  
Recently, the National Ground Water Association published a column that focused on the interconnected, technical, social, and political and governance aspects of groundwater management. Three separate articles used to introduce new directions, including innovation, technology, and multidisciplinary approaches, increase opportunities and the potential for progress.

The first article,  Groundwater Visibility: The Missing Link co-authored by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, reminds us that groundwater needs more visibility in policy, governance, and management matters, if we are to address groundwater depletion and contamination. The second article provides insights on the role of groundwater permitting regimes in western United States. The last article discusses California's 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act as a significant advancement for a state that regulated surface water but not groundwater.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
 
U.S. Borlaug Summer Institute on Global Food Security

The U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program will hold its sixth annual Summer Institute on Global Food Security Sunday, June 4 - Saturday, June 17, 2017 on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. This two-week learning program is for graduate students who are interested in developing a holistic understanding of the conceptual challenges around global food security with a focus on cross-disciplinary problem solving of real-world development challenges. Applicants must have completed at least one semester of graduate study and must be enrolled in a U.S. institution at the time of application. U.S. citizenship is not required.  

The application deadline is Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Additional information and applications are available on the program website.
To submit an online abstract, click here.  

WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition Issues Call for Abstracts
 
Professionals, scientists, government employees, organizations, public and private institutions, policy makers, students, and all others working in an industry related to water efficiency are invited to submit abstracts for the 10th annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, scheduled for October 4-6, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV.  The deadline for receipt of abstracts is Friday, February 10, 2017.

 For additional information or to submit abstracts, click here.   
JOB POSTINGS 
 
AWRA Seeks an Editor-in-Chief for JAWRA

AWRA is seeking a new editor-in-chief (EIC) for its flagship publication, the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.  JAWRA is dedicated to publishing original papers characterized by their broad, multidisciplinary approach to water resources issues.  The EIC has final responsibility and authority for all editorial and technical decisions and is assisted by volunteer associate editors (AEs). Administrative, operational, and publication functions of the journal are the responsibility of the AWRA staff.

Interested applicants must apply by June 30, 2017 by emailing  Dr. John C. Tracy, Chair, JAWRA Editor in Chief Search Committee.

Sun Corridor Legacy Program Seeks Project Manager
The Sonoran Institute's Sun Corridor Legacy Program is seeking a project manager for its Tucson Office to oversee a stakeholder-led conservation planning initiative for the Upper Santa Cruz River.  The Sonoran Institute inspires and enables community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people of Western North America.

Interested applicants can apply by sending a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to Human Resource Manager, Ryan VanDero. 
Upcoming Conferences 
 
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences will hold its 2017 Annual Meeting on the University of Arizona campus on June 21-24. A call for session proposals and workshops is currently open, with deadlines of January 13 (workshops) or January 27 (sessions). For more information, visit the website here.

In addition, the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation and the National Water Research Institute, in partnership with National Water Reuse California, will be hosting the 11th IWA International Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse on July 23-27, 2017 in Long Beach, California. This event is being held in North America for the first time and will bring together water reuse practitioners from around the world to learn and exchange information. For deadlines and other information, click here.

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER