WRRC RAPIDS Navigating Watershed Planning in a Virtual World

As we approach the one-year anniversary of working virtually, the WRRC Water RAPIDS team leans into collaborative watershed planning and research with our partners in the Cobre Valley from afar. In November 2020, the team co-convened the Third Annual Cobre Valley Water Forum alongside the Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership (CVWP) and Gila County Cooperative Extension. The forum’s virtual format enabled broad participation, bringing together over 60 community members to consider how healthy forests and uplands support the overall health of the watershed. Participant feedback throughout the two-day forum was integrated into a recently released forum summary.

 

The RAPIDS team takes opportunities like the Water Forum and CVWP Science Coordination Team (SCT) meetings to make headway with its ongoing research on the benefits and vulnerabilities of ecosystem services (ES) in the region. Driven by local and regional stakeholders, the RAPIDS team organizes the SCT as a subcommittee of the CVWP. The SCT advises, informs, and guides the focus and direction of the ES research. As part of this collaborative approach to research, the first installment of the ES report was released on February 10 for comment and review by community members. This first of three installments is focused on developing a better understanding of the benefits of ES to support education, decision making, project development, and natural resources management. As the first installment is being reviewed, the RAPIDS team has already begun working on the next steps, which is to evaluate the vulnerability of these benefits and risks, such as severe wildfire and exceptional drought.