Some old and new friends of the WRRC have recently been named 2024 Women Achievers of Arizona. Water community honorees include Terri Sue C. Rossi, Vice President of Water Resources, Arizona Water Company; Chelsea McGuire, Assistant Director, External Affairs, Water Infrastructure Finance Authority; and Vineetha Kartha, Colorado Rivers Program Manager, Central Arizona Project.

On October 31, the WRRC hosted a presentation and book signing by the author of Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado. During his presentation, Dave Showalter accompanied a series of stunning photographs featured in the book with personal stories of his travels through the Colorado River basin.

The WRRC is requesting applications for a GIS and mapping postdoctoral research position (postdoc). The postdoc will work with partners, including local, state, nonprofit, private, sector, federal, and academic partners, to assist with the development of data analysis and mapping projects, including an update to the Arizona Water Map poster.

Arizona’s rivers, once vibrant and full of life, have transformed into ghostly reminders of what they once were. The Santa Cruz River in Tucson is a prime example of this haunting change. Flowing freely through the desert for thousands of years, the Santa Cruz River supported lush riparian habitats and diverse wildlife.

Beginning on November 7, graduate students at the University of Arizona can register for Spring 2025 semester classes. Starting on Friday, January 17, 2025, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal will again be teaching her course, “Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions,” weekly from 9:00–11:30 am.

On October 23, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) announced that the Director is proposing formation of an Active Management Area (AMA) within the boundaries of the Willcox groundwater basin in southeastern Arizona. A public hearing on the proposal will be held, beginning at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Willcox Community Center.

On October 17, guests from the University of Arizona and across the state visited Curry Seed & Chile Company in Pearce, AZ, for a tour organized by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal. Curry Farms president and founder Ed Curry is a fourth-generation farmer, has been growing chiles since he was a child, and developed a lifelong interest in chile genetics.

A meeting of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Board of Directors held on October 10 included a guest presentation on the work of the Water Resources Research Center by Director Sharon B. Megdal. The presentation featured ongoing WRRC projects and goals, including applied research, outreach and engagement, education, and partnerships.

In October, the U of A College of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences renewed WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal’s appointment as the C.W. and Modene Neely Endowed Professor for Excellence in Agriculture and Life Sciences. The College waived the usual five-year review, based on annual performance reviews and the recommendation of Environmental Science Department head Jon Chorover. Megdal’s appointment was extended to the end of the 2028-2029 academic year.

On October 16, the WRRC hosted a Water Webinar, titled “Meaningful Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples on Inland Waters in Australia.” Attendees heard from two speakers from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: First Nations Water Branch Head Sheryl Hedges and Director for First Nations Engagement Brandon Etto.