The U of A Udall Center for Public Policy recently announced the creation of a new research group, the Research in Pollutant Policy for Environment and Society (RIPPLES) lab, to assess frameworks for regulating per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Although researchers across the university already collaborate to understand the impacts of PFAS in nature and society, this is the first group studying the topic from a policy perspective.

The WRRC has acquired an archive that documents activities of the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association (SAWARA) from 1987 to 2006. SAWARA was a community organization that advocated for water conservation and bringing the Central Arizona Project to Tucson.

Review by Lynn Carroll, WRRC Graduate Student Worker

With record setting hot weather this spring, it is feeling more and more like reading weather. As someone who is interested in public and private water systems, I was excited to read Gary Hix’s newest book, Groundwater Sharing Contracts: Well Share Agreements.

Last week, Lynn Carroll, a grad student assistant at the WRRC, presented her research findings at the 99th annual AZ Water Conference in Phoenix. Carroll’s study evaluated two point-of-use ultraviolet (UV) devices for water treatment that cost less than $500 to assess their suitability for household use and health protection.

On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the University of Arizona’s Drachman Institute for the Built Environment hosted their 2nd Annual Outreach + Community Impact Celebration to recognize exemplary student outreach and impactful community partnerships.

In March of this year, the USGS released a new online tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict stream flow in rivers across the country. The tool, River DroughtCast, which is free and accessible for public use, provides predictions on 3,000 rivers.

The City of Flagstaff and the Navajo Nation are partnering to find creative solutions to unique water challenges in Northern Arizona. On April 22, WRRC hosted four webinar speakers who discussed innovative projects underway in the region.

A gallery of photos from the successful WRRC 2026 Annual Conference on April 14–15, 2026, is now available online. The conference, Water for Tech, Mining & Energy: Pathways to Arizona’s Future, brought together hundreds of participants from across Arizona and beyond for two days of engaging presentations, discussions, and networking.

Pintu Kumar Mahla has been a Designated Campus Colleague of the WRRC since April of 2025, researching transboundary water challenges and opportunities in South Asia. His most recent work focuses on issues of water access in the Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).

The Agnese Nelms Haury Program at the University of Arizona has named the team behind the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources Library Preservation Project  as recipients of the 2026 Indigenous Resilience Leadership Award. The work of awardees — Maurice Upshaw, Jessica Ugstad, and Teresa Miguel-Stearns — has safeguarded a critical and irreplaceable water resources collection.