Cobre Valley Water

Cobre Valley Water Research Initiative

Connecting Water in the Globe-Miami Area

The Globe-Miami area in central Arizona faces complex water supply and infrastructure challenges that have impacts on community well-being and future prospects. These challenges require a  comprehensive understanding of water supply and demand, as well as the water resource issues that connect the watershed, its water using sectors, and governing jurisdictions. Collaboration has been roundly acknowledged by stakeholders as critical to developing the innovative solutions the area needs.

Background

View or download a short summary of WRRC's work in Globe-Miami since 2016: Tracking Water in the Cobre Valley

Since 2016, the WRRC, in partnership with the US Bureau of Reclamation and Gila County Cooperative Extension, has been working with stakeholders to identify needs and formulate recommendations for water management and research in the region. The WRRC collected and reviewed available information about water resources from a wide variety of sources, including interviews with community members and water managers in the region. Using this framework of grounding research in community engagement, we worked with interested stakeholders to improve the accuracy of water supply and demand estimates for the region in 2019. More accurate information about the local "water budget," can help guide planning and identify projects that are most critical to the health of the watershed and the communities within it, both in the short-term and long-term. To incorporate local voices and concerns in the discussion, the WRRC convened a Steering Committee made up of local representatives, to provide direction and input on strategies to promote consensus-driven decision-making, the organization of small-town forums, and the development of a Community Assets Assessment.

WRRC and community partners convened two Water Forums in Cobre Valley on September 6, 2018 and April 9, 2019 to establish priorities, follow up on collaborative action, and assess water supply and demand estimates in Cobre Valley. Proposed actions were defined and assigned priorities based on focused discussions and participant voting. 

Shared History of the Cobre Valley

Previous work with community member in Cobre Valley resulted in a shared history timeline that displays key moments in the history of the region.

The WRRC is grateful for a responsive steering committee composed of representatives from the following organizations:

BHP
Capstone Mining Corp.
Central Arizona Governments
City of Globe
Gila County
Industrial Development Authority of Gila County
Rural Communities Assistance Corporation
Town of Miami
Tri-cities Sanitary District
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
US Bureau of Reclamation
WIFA