Closing Water Supply Gap in Arizona the Focus of April 8 UA Conference

April 7, 2014

TUCSON, Ariz. (April 7, 2014) – Demand for water in Arizona may outpace supplies by a gap of 1 million acre-feet (nearly 326 billion gallons) by the year 2060 if no action is taken. At its April 8 conference, “Closing the Gap Between Water Supply and Demand,” the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) will address how to provide safe, reliable water supplies for Arizona now and in the future.

Organized in partnership with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the WRRC conference will explore our state’s options for meeting water needs, including water supply sustainability, conservation, reuse and recycling, policy options and more.

Four Reasons to Talk Now About Closing the Gap:

  1. Water supplies in Colorado River Basin States may fall short of demand. The Colorado River Basin Study recently found that water demand in Basin States is expected to exceed supply by some 3.2 million acre-feet by the year 2060 if nothing is done. Keynote speaker Kay Brothers will address the findings of the study’s Next Steps Working Group, tasked with identifying solutions.
  2. Innovative water management can help Arizona be drought resistant. Expert panelists will examine water management challenges both Basin-wide and in Arizona, and will discuss real-time solutions.
  3. Arizona has a plan for sustaining its water resources over the coming century. Opening keynote speaker Michael Lacey will address ADWR’s recently released “Arizona’s Next Century: A Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability,” which focuses on securing future water supplies in our state.   
  4. Water issues affect everyone. Solutions to water challenges must consider a wide array of stakeholders, including agriculture, tribes, municipalities, nature, industry and many others. These perspectives and others will be represented in four panel sessions at the WRRC conference.

The WRRC Conference runs from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on April 8 at the UA Student Union Memorial Center. Learn more at the WRRC online conference hub.

The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, education, and outreach. For more information, visit us at wrrc.arizona.edu.

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