WRRC Director Testifies Before Congress
On Wednesday March 18, Dr. Sharon B. Megdal, Director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. As President of the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR), Dr. Megdal spoke on behalf of that organization in support of the Water Resources Research Act (WRRA) program. Administered by the U.S. Geological Survey under the general guidance of the Secretary of the Interior, the WRRA program established the water resources research institutes in U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Institutes are charged with undertaking water research to solve local, regional, and national water issues, training new water professionals, transferring technology, and disseminating information. Dr. Megdal’s testimony highlighted the recent achievements of the water resources research institutes and emphasized the quality and significance of their research. Dr. Megdal also stressed the importance of continued federal support of the Water Resources Research Institute program in understanding and resolving local, regional, and national water problems. Dr. Megdal assumed the NIWR presidency on October 1, 2014 and will hold the position until September 30, 2015.
New SRP Technology Improves Watershed Monitoring
A new photography-based system, named SRP Flowtography™ has been deployed by the Salt River Project (SRP) to track the runoff from snowmelt and rainfall at selected locations in northern Arizona. Essentially a simple, inexpensive way of monitoring stream flow that uses both time-lapse cameras and in-stream visual staff gauges, Flowtography™ tracks the runoff from snowmelt and rainfall and offers visual proof of stream flow or snow accumulation. Developed by Lee Ester, manager of Water Measurement at SRP, Flowtography™ combines time-lapse images synchronized with conventional data. Especially useful for flow events on streams that run only for short periods following rain or snowmelt, the 35,000 photos collected at each site per year are used with electronic data for comparison and verification. After two years of field testing, Flowtography™ is currently being used at several locations across the Salt and Verde watersheds, in the Big Chino Sub-basin, and at portions of four national forests along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona. SRP is the largest provider of water to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Federal Government Consolidates Environmental Datasets
December saw the release of two new datasets that consolidate hundreds of datasets from numerous federal departments and agencies into two thematic data hubs: “Ecosystem Vulnerability” and “Water.” Both are now available online to the public for free. Departments and agencies include the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The water-themed hub improves the accessibility of government records of stream flow, groundwater levels and water quality spanning more than a century, and estimated water use since 1950. USGS-contributed water datasets include the National Water Information System, the leading source of stream flow, water quality, groundwater, and water use data for the nation. Another key resource is the NOAA National Climatic Data Center’s archive of historical precipitation and other climate drivers relevant to the water cycle. In addition, base map data such as the USGS National Hydrography Dataset and 3D Elevation Program, land cover, soils, and other data are provided along with models such as the NASA North American Land Data Assimilation System, which estimates soil moisture and other water variables. The data sets can be found online at https://www.data.gov/climate/
Stormwater Master Planning Underway in LA Focuses on Water Harvesting
Los Angeles is engaged in a major Stormwater Capture Master Planning Process to explore opportunities for increased stormwater capture in order to increase the local water supply and reduce the dependence on imported water. The plan is being developed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power with community input through a series of public meetings. The final plan is expected by the summer of 2015. The plan will identify and evaluate alternatives and strategies to increase stormwater capture, including specific actions for implementing the plan’s recommendations. Projects large and small in scale will be considered, from central spreading basins to residential rain gardens. The multiple benefits of increasing stormwater capture will also be evaluated, which can include replacing a portion of potable supply, recharging groundwater, and addressing problems of water quality and peak flows in downstream channels, creeks, and streams such as the Los Angeles River. The plan is intended to guide decision making on Los Angeles’s water resource policies and programs.
EPA Launches Water Finance Center
A new Water Finance Center at the Environmental Protection Agency has been launched that will connect local governments and utility companies with federal grants to rebuild sewer systems and keep streams and rivers clean. To help address more than $600 billion in needs for drinking water and wastewater management over the next 20 years, the Center will work closely with municipal and state governments, utilities and private sector partners. Federal grants will be used to attract more private capital into projects and promote models of public-private collaboration. This is seen as a model for addressing the needs of cities and towns to provide safe water, rebuild sewer systems, and keep streams and rivers clean.