—by David Arthur Sampson, VP Phoenix Chapter
Check out our Facebook page to see many more photos of the Symposium taken by the talented Shawn Calendine.
Thanks to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, and raffle prize contributors!
Well, our 31st Annual Symposium has passed, and it seems to me that it proved very successful. The Phoenix Chapter (with much help from the Corporate Board) hosted the event. This year, the plenary session — “Reimagining Arizona’s Rivers” — typified the theme, “The Importance of Hydrology in a Vibrant Southwest.” The panelists for the plenary included Melissa McCann (University City Exchange, ASU), Tim Thomure (Tucson Water), and Mike Fulton (Flood Control District of Maricopa County). Sara Porter, Executive Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, did a wonderful job of moderating the panel. Tim presented Tucson’s plan and vision for revitalizing the Santa Cruz River through the Heritage Project. A principal thrust of the project is to restore perennial flow to a portion of the Santa Cruz River near downtown Tucson using reclaimed water. Melissa spoke about a newly minted project to revitalize the Rio Salado riverine corridor through a trans-city projected entitled “Rio Reimagined.” Six cities and two Indian communities will be involved. The project proposes environmental revitalization of the river with economic hubs stretching from Granite Reef to SR 85. Mike presented the Flood Control District’s role in supporting the project. Our late, and greatly missed, Senator John McCain was an avid promoter of the project, which has the broader goal to “promote progressive commerce while ensuring an equitable, high quality, sustainable environment.” McCain said of the project, “Together we can leave this place better than we found it.”
The technical sessions were fun and well attended. We had about 207 attendees for the symposium, with an additional 23 folks who attended our workshops. The workshops, held on Wednesday, were “Well Casing Assessment” led by Marvin Glotfelty and “Practical Well Test Analysis” led by Dr. Peter Mock. And our poster session was much larger and better attended than I remember from years past. Our Thursday luncheon featured Mark O’Malley (National Weather Service) and Nancy Selover (Arizona State Climatology Office), who both spoke about our ongoing drought here in the Southwest and, specifically, Arizona (albeit from slightly different perspectives). Gosh, I hope it snows heavily for the next few years; we need it! Our Friday luncheon awards ceremony was, as always, heartfelt and emotional. For me, and AHS in general, recognizing and rewarding students for their contributions to the science of hydrology may be the most fulfilling charge that we do as a society. The future is in the hands of those that follow us. Oh, and let’s not forget Chuck! Charles “Chuck” Graf was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years of valuable contributions to the state and the profession of hydrology. For many in AHS, Chuck was and is a mentor in the development of their careers and hydrologic expertise.
This year, in lieu of a Thursday evening dinner, we had Casino Night! I do not have an accurate count of the attendance for this event, but I can guess that we had well over 50 people enjoying the evening by playing blackjack, craps, and roulette (for fun; no money was exchanged). Each attendee was provided $2000 in play money to begin with. At the end of the evening, chips were traded in for raffle tickets ($500 for each ticket) for the wonderful prizes that were given away by our generous donors. Personally, although I did not win it, I think the best prize was a Yeti cooler. Wow! I am so jealous.
Next year we will once again meet in Tucson. Until then…