The WRRC is pleased to announce that, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Cooperative Extension, a limited number of complimentary conference registrations will be available for Extension employees and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Our wonderful students have returned to work at the WRRC for the Spring 2026 semester, several of whom will be giving brief talks about their projects at our upcoming Chocolate Fest on February 12. Please join us to learn more about the cool work they’ve been doing!

The WRRC is pleased to welcome two new Graduate Research Assistants, Lynn Carroll and Caleb Dusek. Lynn will be working on Water RAPIDS projects, including our upcoming WIFA conservation factsheet series. Caleb will help with communications and outreach for the WRRC Annual Conference and other WRRC programs, as well as providing assistance on various research projects.

Registration for the WRRC 2026 annual conference opens today! This year’s conference, Water for Tech, Mining & Energy: Pathways to Arizona’s Future, will be held April 14–15 at the U of A Student Union Memorial Center in Tucson, Arizona. The program will explore the challenges and opportunities for water stewardship among Arizona’s key non-agricultural water use sectors, including mining, energy, and technology. Sessions will highlight innovative strategies, best practices, regulatory frameworks, municipal–industrial partnerships, and environmental considerations shaping Arizona’s water future.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has designated the Ranegras Plain Groundwater Basin Arizona’s eighth Active Management Area (AMA). This designation follows the determination by ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke that the basin is experiencing severe groundwater declines.

The Bureau of Reclamation has released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) examining five options for operating Colorado River reservoirs after 2026, when current operating agreements expire.

On January 8, 2026, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a settlement agreement between Arizona and Riverview, LLP, a Minnesota-based company that owns and operates two large dairies in the Willcox Basin in southeastern Arizona.

The University of Arizona students returned to campus this week, and the WRRC wishes all a happy and enriching Spring 2026! This semester, the WRRC will host several events, including webinars, partner events, Chocolate Fest, and the Annual WRRC Conference.

Please help spread the news—the WRRC is now accepting proposals for this year’s federal WRRA 104(b) grants. The Water Resources Research Act (WRRA) Section 104(b) program provides small grants for university-based research projects on water-related issues in Arizona. Proposals featuring student work are encouraged. The deadline to submit a 104(b) proposal this year is 5:00 pm MST on Monday, March 16, 2026.

Those who follow international water topics may be interested in a new publication by Dr. Pintu Kumar Mahla, a U of A Designated Campus Colleague conducting research at the WRRC. His recent paper, published in the e-journal Janus.net, is titled “Hydro-Diplomacy as a Strategic Lever: Comparative Insights from India and China in Regional Cooperation and Global Water Governance.”