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Meetings & Events

If you would like to present at a future chapter meeting, contact us at [email protected]. Note that we can no longer issue refunds for cancellations; in addition, you must pay in advance — we cannot take payments at the door or invoice you after an event.

May Events

May Chapter Meeting

Join us for a talk with Nolie Templeton, Ph.D., P.E. on Central Arizona Project navigates 2026: Low snow, looming deadlines, what’s next?

. Networking begins at 5:00pm and the talk will be from 6:00 to 7:00.

  • Date: May 14th
  • Time: 5:30-7:30pm
  • Place:  ASU SkySong, Room number: 249 Imagination is in building no. 1, second floor. You can find the map below.
  • Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members, and $15 for students 
Register

Abstract: Central Arizona Project navigates 2026: Low snow, looming deadlines, what’s next?

This presentation provides an introduction to the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and its critical role in delivering Colorado River water to central Arizona. As an engineering marvel, the 336-mile CAP aqueduct stretches from Lake Havasu to south of Tucson, serving 80% of Arizona’s population.

However, the Colorado River continues to face a historic drought dating back to the early 2000s, with 2026 potentially marking the worst snow year on record. This session will detail the 2026 snowpack and subsequent runoff, specifically focusing on inflow projections for Lake Powell and the resulting impacts on Lake Mead. We will also discuss recent operational adjustments announced by the Bureau of Reclamation to prevent Lake Powell from falling below its “power pool” elevation.

Further complicating these record-low hydrological conditions is the expiration of current operating guidelines for Lakes Powell and Mead on September 30, 2026. The presentation will conclude with an overview of the Federal Government’s actions to date, including describing the alternatives proposed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, how the alternatives impact CAP supplies in 2027 and beyond, and CAP’s response.

About Nolie Templeton, Ph.D., P.E.:

 Nolie Templeton, Ph.D., P.E., serves as a Senior Policy Analyst in Central Arizona Project’s Colorado River Programs Department, where her work is centered on securing and augmenting CAP’s Colorado River supply. She tackles this challenge by specializing in the intersections of hydrology, climate, and water policy. Dr. Templeton brings an in-depth understanding of Colorado River hydrology, applying rigorous technical analyses to directly inform and guide CAP’s policy decisions.

Nolie earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering from Arizona State University. She is also a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona.

June Events

Darcy Lecture – Steven P Loheide II, PhD

On June 3rd from 10 – 11 am, the National Ground Water Association is offering a free webinar to NGWA members and non-members.  The webinar features this year’s Darcy Lecture, Steven P Loheide II, PhD. 

Dr. Loheide will speak on how groundwater dependent ecosystems depend on groundwater to thrive.  Groundwater dependent ecosystems include wetlands and riparian forests that border streams and are well recognized in arid regions where lush vegetation may only exist where shallow groundwater is accessible to plant roots. However, in humid, temperate regions it’s often assumed that forests do not rely on groundwater because precipitation is typically sufficient to meet the plant water demand.  His research tested this assumption by quantifying groundwater’s influence on tree growth and transpiration in northern humid forests with sandy soils. Time-series of groundwater levels show that groundwater levels fall during the daylight hours when transpiration occurs and recover during nighttime periods in some of the observation wells were monitored.  The research used these diurnal groundwater fluctuations to quantify groundwater consumption and found that northern Wisconsin’s forests consume groundwater when and where it is within 3m of the land surface. For more information click here.

Furthermore, tree growth response was analyzed by coring trees and measuring annual tree ring increments. The results were that trees in regions with shallow groundwater had up to twice as much growth as indicated by tree rings compared to regions where groundwater was deeper than 5m.  Lastly, remote sensing techniques were employed that compared vegetation indices during wet and dry periods and mapped the degree of groundwater influence across the study area.  Counter to conventional wisdom, this research demonstrates that shallow groundwater subsidizes evapotranspiration even in humid forests and enhances forest productivity. Recognition of forests as groundwater users is important in guiding sustainable water and forest management decisions in the region.

Register Here

Chapter Officers & Board Members

2026 Officers

  • President: Michel Hulst
  • Vice President: Lauren Handley, LRE Water
  • Treasurer: Ed Mears, HDR
  • Secretary: Andrea Wrenn, Matrix New World
  • Chapter Board Member at Large: Bridget Hoagland Stamatovski, Matrix New World
  • Chapter Board Member at Large: Bryon Baden, GES
  • Chapter Board Member at Large: Shannon Reif, SRP

2026 Corporate Board Members

  • Board Member: Chris Brooks, CAP
  • Board Member: Nathan Miller, Matrix New World
  • Board Member: Enrique Vivoni, Director for Center for Hydrologic Innovations

You can contact board members via email at [email protected].

Chapter News