WRRC Kicks Off Fall Water Webinars
This month marked the return of the WRRC Water Webinars, our series of presentations from experts and professionals on a wide range of water-related topics. On September 7, Helen Dahlke, Professor in Integrated Hydrologic Sciences at the University of California, Davis, kicked off our fall series with her presentation, Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge (Ag-MAR) — A Method for Sustainable Groundwater Management. She explained the practice and feasibility of using agricultural land for intentional groundwater recharge, including the use of flood waters for this purpose. Dahlke also provided an overview of ongoing research regarding the environmental impacts of Ag-MAR on water quality and crop health.
On September 11, we heard from Salt River Project (SRP) Water and Forest Sustainability Manager Elvy Barton and SRP Water System Projects Manager Ron Klawitter. In their joint presentation, Planning for Water Resilience: Strategic Investment in Green and Traditional Infrastructure, Barton and Klawitter offered insight into SRP’s forest restoration and water storage projects. Barton spoke about ongoing forest management efforts to reduce wildfire impacts, which increase the chances of flooding as well as the amount of sediment and debris carried by floodwaters. These impacts also result in reduced storage capacity in reservoirs. Klawitter discussed the proposed Roosevelt Flood Control Space Operational Flexibility Project, the proposed raising of the Bartlett Dam, the importance of water infrastructure to capture floodwater runoff and reduce groundwater dependency, and a proposed interconnection of the SRP and CAP systems.
The next WRRC Water Webinar, Solar River, Covering and Powering Canals with Photovoltaic Energy, will be held on Thursday, October 12, and will feature perspectives from Benjamin Lepley, Principal Architect at Tectonicus, and David H. DeJong, Director of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project.
Image: Helen Dahlke