Viewpoint: The Lateness of the HourOK, August 30 is right around the corner, and your procrastination allowance is now almost used up. It is my fervent hope that you have already registered for this year’s Annual Symposium, to be held at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale. This is the main event for the Arizona Hydrological Society for the year, and all members are encouraged to attend. Actually, I am more than encouraging you—I am urging you to register now. The theme for this year’s Annual Symposium is “Managing Hydrologic Extremes,” and it will be a first-class symposium experience. The technical program has an excellent set of papers that you need to hear. The field trips will interest a wide hydrologic audience. The workshops offer a chance for valuable training. And your opportunities to expand your professional and personal horizons through networking will be greater than ever, as this Annual Symposium will also be the annual convention of the American Institute of Hydrology. The event Website at www.hydrosymposium.org is the place to go to register on-line. Times are hard. And perhaps that is the hydrologic extreme that we most need to manage. Consulting firms and governments are cutting back in all areas, including professional development. But this is not the time to be canceling conferences, either as exhibitors or as attendees. This is the time to invest in employee growth by sending folks to the Annual Symposium, and in the kind of advertising that goes with being an exhibitor or sponsor. We will come through these hard times, and new wells will be drilled, hydrologic studies will be commissioned, and compliance with statute and rule will again be a high priority. Now is the time to get ready for that revival. The 2009 Planning Committee will be sending out more e-mail reminders over the next few weeks. Bring them up to management, and tell management you need to be there. It’s the smart and timely thing to do. Alan Dulaney, AHS Corporate Board President, 2009
Phoenix ChapterPhoenix Table of Contents
There will be no chapter dinner meetings in August or September due to the Annual Symposium activities. Our next dinner meeting will be held Tuesday, October 13th, at the Sonora Brewhouse near 3rd Street east of Central Avenue on Camelback Road in Phoenix.
Our speaker will be Brian Conway, Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), who will who will give us an update on subsidence
issues in Arizona.
RSVP with Kirk Creswick at kcreswick@eecphx.com or 602-248-7702. July Meeting Summary: Water for People – World Water Corps, "A Vacation with Purpose" Dave Christiana of the Arizona Department of Water Resources shared his personal experiences with Water for People and the World Water Corps.
The Phoenix Chapter would like to thank David for sharing his experiences with us. What fabulous adventures. Thank you David! 2009 AHS Annual Symposium Sponsors Sought The 2009 Symposium, "Managing Hydrologic Extremes", will be held at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa August 30 through September 2, 2009 in Scottsdale. The event will be a joint symposium with the 2009 national conference of the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH). Thanks to our volunteers we already have several sponsors! Our thanks to:
We look forward to helping you help us promote your firms and the 2009 Symposium. Take a look at the exhibitor hall setup. See where you would like to set up your booth and market new clients in Scottsdale. Reserve your space now and let everyone know you are supporting another outstanding AHS event. Please contact Mike Hulst, EEC, at 602-248-7702 or mhulst@eecphx.com or Keith Ross, Hydro Geo Chem, at 480-421-1501 or keithr@hgcinc.com and ask for a sponsorship package. More information is also available at our Symposium website,
www.hydrosymposium.org .
Next Symposium Planning Meeting, August 11th, at Hydro Geo Chem Planning for the 2009 AHS Symposium continues. The next planning meetings is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29th, at 4 PM (note change in time) at the offices of Hydro Geo Chem (6370 E. Thomas Rd, Ste 200, Scottsdale, AZ). Things are getting VERY close and many details need to assistance (that means we need YOU). We will be discussing paper reviewing, moderators and volunteers. We will also be discussing marketing issues. If you are interested in helping with the planning process or just listening in, please contact Keith Ross at
keithr@hgcinc.com or 480-421-1501. We'd love to have you and we can really use your help.
Event Calendar (you may also see AHS calendar events at http://www.azhydrosoc.org)
Tucson ChapterTucson Table of Contents
September Meeting Announcement The next chapter meeting will be held on Tuesday September 15th, 2009.
Call for Officer/Corporate Board Nominees The Tucson Chapter is seeking nominees for all positions on the Chapter Board, including President,
Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for 2010. Voting for these positions will take place in November of 2009.
We are also seeking nominations for two open positions on the Corporate Board. One position is vacant, and could
be filled immediately. The other will be available beginning in January, 2010.
Please send any nominations to Jeff Gawad (jgawad@elmontgomery.com). 2009 Halpenny Intern Selection The Halpenny Intern for 2009, Terra Michaels, has been hard at work this summer.
She is interning with the USGS, Tucson Water, The Nature Conservancy, and Montgomery and Associates.
Thanks to all participating agencies. Keep up the good work Terra!
2010 Symposium Planning Committee Planning for the 2010 symposium is underway. If you would like to get involved with planning, please contact Kate Duke of Montgomery and Associates (kduke@elmontgomery.com)
or Jeff Gawad of Montgomery and Associates (jgawad@elmontgomery.com). Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Community Evening Program - Israeli and Palestinian Water Management and Policy: Challenges Facing Water Managers and Potential Solutions.
Information for additional seminars can be found on the WRRC web site:
www.cals.arizona.edu/azwater Smart controllers adjust water use based on weatherBy Elena Acoba Monsoon rain may be a welcome sight for home gardeners and landscapers, but it also wreaks havoc on figuring out when to water with an automatic irrigation system. Smart controllers that commercial landscapers have relied on for years now are available for residential use. They give homeowners nearly hands-free involvement in setting watering times for changing conditions. "Controllers all ask the same questions," says Steve Montaño, water management specialist for wholesaler Ewing Irrigation. Traditional controllers require people to reset the time and length of watering whenever they want to change. Smart controllers figure this out automatically and adjust accordingly. http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/301262.php No need to watch 'Daily Show'; UA prof tells it all hereByTom Beal We prepared University of Arizona law professor Robert Glennon for his Thursday appearance on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" by asking the kinds of tough questions that comedian Stewart might pose about Glennon's new book, "Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do About It." Any schoolchild knows two-thirds of the Earth is covered with water. What exactly is your problem? It's true the Earth is mostly water, but only 1 percent is potable. The bottom line, for many places in the United States, is that water is not where we want it, when we want it, and in the form we need it. http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/300793.php You can see the episode of the Daily Show (aired 7/16/09) for free online at http://www.thedailyshow.com/ Tucson Water to get power from solar plantBy Shelley Shelton A planned 1-megawatt solar plant in Avra Valley stands to help Tucson Water conserve energy, though it isn't likely to save the utility any money. Even so, the project — on which construction is scheduled to begin in October — is being hailed as a win-win for Tucson Water as well as for a nearby power utility that is trying to increase the amount of renewable energy it produces in order to meet a government mandate. The Arizona Corporation Commission has ordered that all regulated Arizona utilities must generate at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025. http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/300570.php Invasive mussels imperil western water systemBy Felicia Fonseca LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, Nev. — Two years after an invasive mussel was first discovered at Lake Mead, the population has firmly established itself and gone on a breeding binge, with numbers soaring into the trillions. Despite efforts to stop their spread, scientists say it's only a matter of time before quagga mussels appear throughout the West's vast system of reservoirs and aqueducts, raising operation and maintenance costs by untold millions. Water agencies and wildlife managers in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah have put in place aggressive measures to try to prevent their spread, including mandatory decontamination or quarantine of boats traveling from infested areas or chlorinating some water inlets to try to kill off the mussels. http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20090720/NEWS/907199997/-1/RSS01 Flagstaff ChapterNext Meeting: September The Flagstaff Chapter will resume monthly meetings in September, time, date and location TBA. AHS Shares Water Knowledge with Students in NAU's Summer Enrichment Program  Kyleen Johnson, with the NAU College of Education Summer Enrichment Program, found the AHS website and emailed Erin Young, soliciting local professionals that could present on the topic “Where Did the H2O Go” to summer school students from around the state ages 13-17. Erin signed up for a morning talk in early June, and Brad Hill and Ellen Ryan, both with the City of Flagstaff, also gave talks on different dates in June. The following are these three volunteers' accounts about sharing their knowledge with these young students. By Erin Young, Fluid Solutions: Once I arrived I found out the students were mostly from the Phoenix area but also from rural communities around the state. My talk focused on water wells in the Flagstaff area and how deep they need to be in order to obtain water from the C aquifer. I provided a sketch cross-section to explain the depth of the wells relative to the depth of the Grand Canyon, hoping the kids had been there (maybe 1/3 of them raised their hand). I talked a bit about the reverse circulation and dual rotary drilling methods and some of the hurdles associated with drilling a water well through the volcanic, limestone, and sandstone stratigraphy. I was really amused that the kids found this so interesting and they asked great questions, mostly about the costs to drill to 2,500 feet, the risks involved with being the driller and working with all the equipment, the risks I had in visiting the drilling area, and intuitive questions and discussion regarding how to deal with the issues I mentioned inherent to completing the well (at first they thought “can’t you just move and start over”). I brought in some drill cuttings and we picked out the different stratigraphic units and discussed why the units are not all of the same thickness. I explained part of my job was to pick up the cuttings while the well was being drilled and to put a sample from each depth into trays or vials. It just so happened that Don Bills had about 2000 feet of samples needing to be vialed, and so the kids, teachers, and I did that for him as an outdoor activity. The kids seemed really happy with the program and happy to be at NAU. The program is designed to get them excited about college by staying a week on campus in dormitories while learning and participating in fun extracurricular activities. Hopefully one of the things they take with them is an understanding that drinking water isn’t necessarily an easy resource to obtain. By Brad Hill, City of Flagstaff: I gave my talk on June 30 to a group of energetic & enthusiastic high school kids who wanted to learn something from this old Water Buffalo! We talked about Flagstaff's water supplies, what's next on the horizon and what can they do to contribute towards conserving our most precious resource. The goals of my talk were to provide the class with an overview of Flagstaff's water development history dating back to the late 1890s, what is impacting the City's water supplies today and what may in the future and what types of studies the City is conducting to better manage our water supply in the long-term. One of the class's biggest interests and discussion points was the topic of the impacts of drought and climate change on the City's water and how sustainable are northern Arizona's water supplies? A lively and educational conversation ensued about rainfall and recharge, spring discharge and how each student could contribute towards conserving water while at home or when visiting NAU. It was enjoyable to share with that generation a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes to deliver water to their faucets and drinking fountains that they use daily at home and at school without even thinking about it. By Ellen Ryan, City of Flagstaff: A group of youth participating in the NAU Summer Enrichment Program was studying water quality. One session they attended occurred at Lake Mary, a City of Flagstaff surface water resource. Information was shared about the year long study being conducted by the City Utilities Department and Dr. David Walker of the University of Arizona to determine the cause(s) of taste and odor-causing compounds. Reservoir water quality is impacted by watershed inputs, climate, seasons, fluctuating water levels, etc. Lake management depends on the ability to be pro-active in response to conditions in order to achieve the highest water quality possible. It is less expensive to solve issues of water quality at the source rather than at the treatment plant. While at Lake Mary observations were made about the watershed, water cycle, and water quality. Students were quite familiar with ways to conserve water. Maps of the Colorado River Watershed gave an overall picture of the scale of water use impact for the region. The Lake Mary Watershed map brought the focus a bit more local. Students were able to comprehend the importance of water quality in the local Lake Mary water resource. The class also learned about specific water demand and supply in Flagstaff, the tie between energy and water, drought conditions, and how the water resource is managed. The City of Flagstaff has watering restrictions like many communities and provides reclaimed water for customers. In 2008, 20% of the overall water use was reclaimed water. Residents’ potable home water use in 2008 was 61 gallons per capita per day (GPCD). If we add in the non-residential potable water use of 47 GPCD and add the 8.1% of “lost and unaccounted for water” the overall community water use is 117 GPCD. (Lost and unaccounted for water includes fire hydrant flushing, line breaks, and meter errors and better tracking of these un-metered sources will lower this number in the future.) 7th International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge (ISMAR7)
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The 7th Annual International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge will be held next year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Map It) Dates: October 9-13, 2010 Early Symposium information and sponsorship information can be found on their website: www.ismar7.org. |
Embark on another Source Water Adventure
Join the Rural Water Association of Arizona as they explore the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, which has been in existence performing research since the mid-1950’s. You will learn about hydrological processes that effect water supply and water quality in a semi-arid watershed. You will also take a look at erosion, sedimentation and the effect on water quality and the health and sustainability of range land ecosystems.
See Flyer for more information.
Call or email Janelle today and secure a reservation!
Janelle Russell
Training Coordinator training@asua.org
520-620-0230
ADWR Releases AZ Well Registry Web Application
The Arizona Department of Water Resources's GIS unit will be releasing a new web application for their Well Registry (Wells 55) database on August 3, 2009. It will be similar to the existing Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI) web application, but will provide search and mapping capabilities for the Well Registry data.
For those of you who use these data, here is a sneak peak of the application: https://gisweb.azwater.gov/waterresourcedata/.
For more information about the Arizona Hydrological Society, or to view current job listings and announcements, please visit our web site at:
Your membership may be renewed for 2009 by credit card through the AHS website or by mailing a check to the Arizona Hydrological Society, c/o Matthew Beversdorf, 1753 East Broadway Road, Suite #101, Box 106 Tempe, Arizona 85282. Dues remain at $45.00 year for regular membership and $15.00 for students. Thank you all for a great 2008 and for your continuing support in 2009. For those who attended the 2008 Flagstaff Symposium, be reminded that membership dues for 2009 were included in the registration fee.