Sustainable water management is one of the most challenging issues of our time, especially in the arid western US. Maximizing the benefits of water supplies requires careful measurement of availability and use. However, one important information gap is compounding this challenge: the lack of consistent consumptive water use data for irrigated agriculture, which accounts for the majority of water use in the western US. To date, access to this data has been limited and expensive, keeping it out of the hands of most water users and decision-makers who could benefit from its use.

Third Annual Cobre Valley Water Forum: Healthy Forests, Healthy Watershed
Various local and regional experts and community leaders, See the agenda below
Join Us
November 12-13, 9am-12pm
Hear from local and regional experts about how healthy forests and uplands contribute to the overall health of the Cobre Valley Watershed in southern Gila County. This virtual event is hosted by the Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership, Gila County Cooperative Extension, and Water Resources Research Center. Thank you to community members and partners for their support!
VIEW THE AGENDA
VIEW THE SPEAKER BIOS
VIEW THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES REPORT
This DRAFT condensed version of the report includes introduction and background on the Cobre Valley
From Mountain Tops to River Beds, We are Part of the Watershed
A watershed is a deceivingly simple concept - an area of land that drains water into streams and rivers. Smaller bodies of water flow into larger ones. In our case, the Cobre Valley is made up of multiple creeks and waterways that drain to the Salt River and Roosevelt Lake, a river system that serves millions of people. Watershed health and function are dependent on the many activities within its boundaries. Forests play an important role in this tightly knit ecological and hydrologic system. Wildfires and the resulting loss of vegetation can significantly reduce a forest's ability to regulate the flow of water during and after rainstorms. Similarly, trails and dirt roads have an impact on the flow of water; poorly maintained or designed tracks can contribute to damaging erosion and flooding issues.
The November Forum is a chance to find out more about why forest health matters to the Cobre Valley watershed. Engage with local experts and regional stakeholders and add your voice to help identify the threats and benefits of the forest-to-watershed relationship and develop local strategies to address watershed health.
Click the hyperlink above to register or copy this link into your browser: https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckcuqtrTsoH93W7wUQga38B9FaQjrIWvGx
Upcoming Events

Brown Bag Webinar: OpenET – Filling One of the Biggest Data Gaps in Water Management

The International Arid Lands Consortium Virtual Conference
To commemorate 30 years of collaboration on arid lands issues, the International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) is hosting a three-day international conference on arid lands. A key goal of the conference is to underscore the value of the IALC mission