Arizona's landmark Groundwater Management Act turned 40 last year and the WRRC marked the occasion by focusing the 2020 annual conference on the legacy of the Act, current groundwater challenges, and potential future pathways. Building on this foundation, the authors of the 2021 Arroyo developed a comprehensive overview of groundwater management in Arizona that looks back over 40 years and ahead toward 2060 and beyond. The presentation will highlight key sections of the Arroyo as reference points for discussion.

Brown Bag Webinar: Recovery of Arizona Water Bank Credits to Mitigate Shortages on the Colorado River
Rabi Gyawali, Water Resources Engineer, Arizona Department of Water Resources
Simone Kjolsrud, Technical Administrator, Arizona Water Banking Authority
Angie Lohse, Senior Policy Analyst, Central Arizona Project

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/
Upcoming Events

Brown Bag Webinar: Arizona's Groundwater Management - Past, Present and Future

Brown Bag Webinar: Community Service and Environmental Justice as an Essential Best...
The old paradigm for clean water utilities was to see permit compliance as the ceiling of aspirations and to avoid community engagement to the maximal extent possible. However, the new paradigm for the clean water utilities of the future is to see permit compliance as a floor and to strive to be environmental champions and anchor institutions in the communities they serve.

World Water Day Special Webinar - Managing Aquifer Recharge: A Showcase for Resilience...
Celebrate World Water Day on Monday afternoon, March 22, when the Water Resources Research Center hosts an informative panel discussion on the forthcoming UNESCO volume, “Managing Aquifer Recharge: A Showcase for Resilience and Sustainability.”