News

A study of drought impacts on water storage in the Colorado River Basin, published in the October issue of Water Resources Research, documents sustained groundwater depletion over the past two decades. The authors, from Virginia Tech and Indiana University, point to an acceleration of storage losses after 2019, particularly with the 2020–2022 drought.

At the San Xavier Cooperative Farm, members of the Tohono O’odham Nation grow traditional foods, work to rematriate Indigenous seeds, and follow the Tohono O’odham Himdag, or Way of Life. Amy Juan, a member of the Nation and the farm’s Administration Manager, spoke about her environmental and cultural work at a Native Voices in Stem (NVIS) webinar on October 14. 

On October 16, Arizona signed on to a lawsuit filed by Nevada over federal Colorado River water cuts to the Lower Basin States: Arizona, Nevada, and California. The suit challenges the Department of the Interior’s plan to deal with water shortages on the river.

Tucsonans gathered at The Loft Cinema to watch the 2026 documentary, The River, on the evening of October 14. The screening, which was hosted by the WRRC, offered an intimate look at the communities that rely on the Colorado River. The documentary explores the unique relationships people have with the river, the diverse ways they imagine the river’s role in their lives, and their hopes for its future in the midst of the current ecological crisis.

University of Arizona professor Jennifer McIntosh was named a Union Fellow for her contributions to hydrology by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) late last month. The Union Fellowship is among the AGU’s highest honors and is awarded annually to a cohort of exceptional geophysical scholars whose work has had a sustained impact on the field.

Early voting opened on October 7, and over 160,000 Arizonans have already cast their ballots. For many Arizonans, securing the state’s water future is a high priority. According to polling from the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, the majority of likely Arizona voters in both parties support dedicating more state funding to water, investing in desalination and wastewater recycling strategies, and strengthening groundwater protections in the state’s rural areas.

The WRRC is pleased to announce the publication of its FY 2026 Annual Report. The report highlights how, through applied research, outreach, and engagement, the WRRC continues to contribute to water resource planning, assessment, and capacity building, as well as to expand awareness and understanding of water resource issues. As Arizona and the region face ongoing water challenges, the WRRC serves as a trusted source for reliable information.

University ranking organizations place the U of A high on scales of research quality and educational performance. In the 2027 ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), the U of A ranked highly in several academic subjects, including water resources, which ranked #6 among public and US universities and #17 globally.

In the Southwest, famous for its dry climate, riparian areas—ecosystems supported by rivers and streams—occupy only a small fraction of the landscape but serve as lifelines, supporting most of the region’s biodiversity.

A study by researchers at Skidmore College and the University of Arizona, published in August 2026 in the Journal of Health Psychology, revealed long-lasting mental health harms from chronic environmental contamination across generations in affected communities and impacts on their collective identity.