The Arizona Water Banking Authority (AWBA) has accrued over 3.8 million acre-feet of credits to provide firming for Arizona water users during shortages on the Colorado River. Planning for future recovery of AWBA credits involves collaboration between the AWBA, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the Central Arizona Project (CAP), and stakeholders. In coordination with the Recovery Planning Advisory Group, this interagency workgroup will release an update to the 2014 Joint Recovery Plan in early 2021. This webinar will include a discussion of Colorado River shortage impacts, updated modeling, and an overview of the updated Recovery Plan document. The Recovery Plan includes projections for the likelihood, magnitude, and timing of future recovery needs and provides estimates of the recovery capacity required for AWBA firming. 

Rabi Gyawali is a Water Resources Engineer with the Colorado River Management Section of ADWR since August 2017. Rabi previously worked as a Research Agriculture Engineer for the Climate and Hydrology Division at the USDA Agriculture Research Service, and as a Research Hydrologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Gyawali has a Master's and a Doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Simone Kjolsrud is a Technical Administrator for the AWBA, responsible for water resource planning and analysis, stakeholder coordination, and policy development. Before joining the Water Bank, she worked for ASU's Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute. Kjolsrud received her M.S. in Environmental and Resource Management, with a concentration in Water Management from Arizona State University.

Angie Lohse is a Senior Policy Analyst at CAP involved in water policy issues with a particular focus on recovery. Lohse previously worked for the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Truman State University and a Master’s in Oceanography from Texas A&M University.

Banner Photo: https://new.azwater.gov/