This presentation offers a critical reassessment of the emblematic water conflict over the Los Angeles Aqueduct, one of the first large inter-basin water transfers in the American West. Based on three years of in-depth archival, ethnographic, and collaborative research, it examines how public, private, and tribal interests have been weighed in decision-making about this water transfer over the course of more than a century of social, regulatory, and environmental change.
Brown Bag Seminar/Webinar Series
Grab your lunch and join us for a range of presentations on water-related
topics of interest.
Access to the WRRC’s Brown Bag series is currently being held live via Zoom webcasts.
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/Webinars
April 07, 2022
Brown Bag
WRRC Brown Bag - Public Interest, Indigenous Rights, and the Los Angeles Aqueduct
March 29, 2022
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: Looking Upstream: An Upper Basin Perspective
Brought to you by the WRRC and the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, this panel will focus on an Upper Basin perspective of current Colorado River issues. The Upper Basin does not have the luxury of pulling water out of reservoirs to supply its water users. Climate change and the prior appropriation system control water uses and naturally limit water use. Panelists will discuss the Upper Basin Drought Contingency Plan and the methods being used to efficiently use water from the Colorado River.
February 15, 2022
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: All In: Confronting Southern Nevada's New Water Reality
Due to prolonged drought, overall snowfall and runoff into the Colorado River Basin are at all-time lows, resulting in the combined water storage in the river's two primary reservoirs—Lakes Powell and Mead—dropping to just 32 percent of capacity. The Secretary of the Interior recently announced the first-ever shortage declaration, reducing the availability of Colorado River supplies to Nevada in 2022. Projections indicate that Lake Mead water levels will continue to decline, and the likelihood of shortage remains high in future years.
February 02, 2022
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: Recent Research on Policies for Managed Aquifer Recharge in Mexico
In Mexico, groundwater availability has been decreasing, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. One way to address this decline is using Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to boost aquifer recharge with stormwater or treated wastewater. Considering the impact that climate change can have on natural recharge, the implementation of MAR efforts in the Northwest region of Mexico would help maintain environmental services, halt seawater intrusion, and act as a source for potable service.
December 06, 2021
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: The Evolution of the Water Sector in Israel: The Role of Mekorot, the...
The severe scarcity of "natural" water resources has forced Israel to implement forward-thinking policies, create advanced technologies, and make decisions that were not always economically supported. Much labor and investment were required to address Israel’s lack of "natural" water resources.
November 19, 2021
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: Making Sense of the COP26 Climate Talks - Reporting Back from the...
On November 19, the WRRC hosted Betsy Wilkening, president of Polar Educators International, and Kristen Poppleton, senior director of programs for Climate Generation, for a Brown Bag webinar on their experiences at the United Nations 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26).
November 10, 2021
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: 104(b) Grant Program — Student Research Presentations
Contamination of our environment from microplastics (1 mm to 5 mm in size) is gaining significant public interest due largely to their emergence as an environmental and potential human health threat.
October 26, 2021
Brown Bag
Brown Bag Webinar: The Case for Better Planning
On Tuesday, October 26, the WRRC held The Case for Better Planning, a Brown Bag webinar featuring Richard N. Morrison, a retired attorney and co-founder of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
October 07, 2021
Brown Bag
APS Sustainable Water Strategies and Practices
On Thursday, October 7, the WRRC hosted Henry Day, water policy and strategy consultant at the Arizona Public Service Company (APS), for a Brown Bag Webinar. In his presentation titled “APS Sustainable Water Strategies and Practices,” Day outlined how the utility is conserving water while transitioning to meet the goal of providing 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. The presentation began with an overview of APS as Arizona’s largest electric utility and described the importance of sustainable water practices at APS and in Arizona.