Many regions across the globe face what are called wicked water problems, which are complex challenges that are too big for readily identifiable and/or “standard” solutions. The reasons for this are many and can relate to underlying societal or political issues and differing viewpoints as to the causes and/or potential pathways to mitigating the challenges. It is often stated that the obstacles to addressing wicked water problems may be related to public acceptance rather than technological or economic factors. Identifying and implementing pathways to solving big water challenges often r
Brown Bag Seminar Series
Bring your lunch and join us for a range of presentations on water-related topics of interest.
Access to the WRRC’s Brown Bag series now routinely includes offsite listeners through live webcasts via Goto-Webinar and in-house video coverage.
The slide presentations of most seminars are also available for viewing on the website.
Get updates on upcoming Brown Bag Seminars
Previous Brown Bag Seminars
May 06, 2020
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: Developing Pathways to Solutions to Wicked Water Problems
April 29, 2020
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: Tucson Water Turnaround: Crisis to Success
A corrosive-water debacle in Tucson preceded the lead contamination issues in Flint, MI by over two decades. In 1992, Tucson Water began delivery of Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project (CAP). Putting treated CAP water into the existing groundwater distribution system caused a devastating corrosion problem that resulted in broken pipes and rusty water flowing from customer taps.
April 16, 2020
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar - Student Research on Water Resource Science Monitoring and Methods
Presentations: Monitoring Tamarix defoliation and mortality from D. carinulata attacks using satellite imagery in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA and Isotopes, geochemistry, citizen science and local partnerships as tools to build upon a fractured understanding of the hydrology of the Patagonia Mountains
This Brown Bag will feature presentations by students who received research grants in 2019 through the WRRC from the Water Resources Research Act, Section 104(b) grant program.
April 08, 2020
Brown Bag
Human-environment dynamics in the Sonoran Desert and Ae. aegypti, the vector of dengue, Zika and chikungunya
Aedes aegypti is an invasive mosquito that has become established throughout the urban landscapes in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. A native of the tropics, the urban landscape facilitates its survival in the arid desert region. We conducted field collections and analyzed mosquito surveillance data to better understand the primary anthropogenic drivers of its abundance in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.
April 01, 2020
Brown Bag
Learning from the Colorado River Conversations
Over the past few years, the UA Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions has hosted a series of events aimed at broadening the conversation about managing the Colorado River. These included an assessment of interdisciplinary science needs, recognizing the complexity of river management issues; a conference soliciting input from water managers on the science agenda developed in the first event; and a conference organized around building relationships among entities and individuals with different perspectives on river management priorities.
March 03, 2020
Brown Bag
The Next 40 Years: Central Arizona Project Long-Range Planning
In this webinar, Central Arizona Project (CAP) will share updates and insights from planning and policy initiatives with long-range implications. These include evaluations of future supply and demand conditions, recovery of water stored by the Arizona Water Banking Authority, CAGRD operations, Colorado River modeling, and CAP’s climate adaptation planning.
February 20, 2020
Brown Bag
Changes in aquifer storage derived from microgravity and water level monitoring in the Tucson Active Management Area
Over the past 20 years, the Tucson Active Management Area has experienced fluctuations in aquifer storage. These changes are a result of recharging imported water and changing groundwater pumping regimes. The USGS uses microgravity to directly measure storage changes in space and time, while Tucson Water measures depth to water in its measurable production wells in an annual round-up. By examining the data from both agencies, it is possible to characterize changes in the regional aquifer and monitor interesting trends in specific geographic areas.
February 18, 2020
Brown Bag
Committees of the Governor’s Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council
This second webinar in the “Get Ready” series will focus on committees under the Governor’s Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council. Philip Richards, Chair of the Desalination Committee, will discuss why desalination is being used as a possible solution for Arizona’s current water challenges and how it can help meet future water needs. In addition, committee Chair Wade Noble and Co-Chair Timothy Thomure will provide updates from the Long-Term Water Augmentation and Post-2025 AMAs Committees.
February 04, 2020
Brown Bag
Reflecting On The Past, Looking To The Future: The Groundwater Management Act
Offering perspectives on the water management challenges that Arizona faced in 1980 and the strategies and framework that were set in place with the passage of the Groundwater Management Act. How has the framework withstood the test of time? What lessons can we take with us to guide us in shaping the policy and strategies for the 5th Management Plans and for the Active Management Areas beyond 2025?