This year’s National Groundwater Awareness Week (GWAW) is March 9–15. The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) created this initiative in 1999 to encourage yearly water well testing and maintenance and to promote policies impacting groundwater quality and supply.

In 2024, I was lucky enough to be selected for the Peer-to-Peer Fellowship at the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC). As a visitor from Tanzania, I was excited to immerse myself in the study of transboundary networks and southwest regional water resource policy.

Early-bird registration for the WRRC’s 2025 Annual Conference is now open! This year’s conference will be held on May 20–21, 2025, at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center. While we strongly encourage in-person attendance to get the full experience, a non-interactive Zoom livestream will also be available for those unable to attend in person.

On Saturday, February 15, 2025, Lorie Cavalli of Arizona Project WET and Christina Molinaro of iWonder Flagstaff hosted a place-based workshop at Foxglenn Park in Flagstaff for area educators.

Long-time WRRC friend and collaborator Crystal Thompson, Executive Affairs Advisor and Communications Manager of the Central Arizona Project (CAP), recently received a lifetime achievement award for her dedicated work in support of the Colorado River basin.

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the WRRC hosted its 21st Annual Chocolate Fest. Dozens of water enthusiasts gathered to share chocolate treats and enjoy an inspiring program. 

The WRRC is pleased to welcome Anne Gondor to the WRRC team! She will serve as Associate in Extension for the Water RAPIDS program, and will work with local, state, nonprofit, and federal partners on water resources planning projects to develop solutions that meet the needs of stakeholders and the environment.

Did you know that most of the Earth’s groundwater is over 12,000 years old? The WRRC and the U of A Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences co-sponsored a Darcy Lecture on Living Fossils: Ancient Groundwaters in the Anthropocene, given by Grant Ferguson on February 5, 2025.

The February 2025 issue of the journal Water features an article by Professor Elia M. Tapia-Villaseñor of the Universidad de Sonora Departamento de Geología, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, and Hydrologic Research Center Chief Research Scientist Eylon Shamir.

Last Friday, February 7, 2025, the WRRC hosted a hybrid author talk and book signing event featuring Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project Director David DeJong’s latest book, Damming the Gila: The Gila River Indian Community and the San Carlos Irrigation Project, 1900–1942.