Agriculture

On Saturday, April 14, the Arizona State Museum opened its latest exhibit, "The Resilience of Hopi Agriculture: 2000 Years of Planting". Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Hopi farmer, photographer, and Ph.D. candidate in the UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment, served as guest curator for the exhibit. Kotutwa illustrates traditional Hopi farming practices based on spiritual beliefs, community values, and ancient, time-tested techniques.  As a farmer, Kotutwa is able to continue the Hopi tradition of practicing culturally-based agriculture on his own land in Northern Arizona. He shows how he is able to grow corn, even in an environment that receives only 6-10 inches of rainfall per year. The exhibit runs through June 30, 2019.  

The WRRC is pleased to announce the publication of our 2018 Arroyo, "Water and Irrigated Agriculture in Arizona."  This Arroyo contains a brief, yet comprehensive history of Arizona's irrigated agriculture, from early indigenous practices to the present, and describes our state's nationally-renowned centers of irrigated agriculture. There are discussions of issues relating to water use by irrigated agriculture, the legal and regulatory context, water challenges, and water efficiency and conservation. It concludes with a look toward future opportunities. Written by the 2017 WRRC Summer Writing Intern, Tim Lahmers, and WRRC Assistant Director, Susanna Eden, this publication is an accessible introduction to the subject and should serve as a handy reference.

The WRRC is pleased to announce the publication of our 2018 Arroyo, “Water and Irrigated Agriculture in Arizona.” A comprehensive summary of Arizona’s irrigated agriculture, this Arroyo contains a brief history from early indigenous practices to the present and descriptions of current centers of irrigated agriculture. There are discussions of issues relating to water use by irrigated agriculture, the legal and regulatory context, water challenges, and water efficiency and conservation. It concludes with a look toward future opportunities. Written by the 2017 WRRC Summer Writing Intern, Tim Lahmers, and WRRC Assistant Director, Susanna Eden, this publication is an accessible introduction to the subject and should serve as a handy reference. 

On March 28, 2017, join your friends and colleagues in the water community for a full day of stimulating presentations, discussions, and much more at the 2017 WRRC Annual Conference to be held at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center. Arizona is facing the challenge of water demands outstripping supplies. Do we have enough water to sustain agricultural demands as our population grows, the Colorado River water supply-demand gap increases, and depletion threatens our groundwater aquifers? Join the discussion! Look for registration to open in January 2018!

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With a projected 25% and 50% increase in U.S. and world population, respectively, by the year 2050, substantial increases in freshwater use for food, fiber, and fuel production, as well as municipal and residential consumption, are inevitable. This increased water use will not come without consequences.

It is important to the economic vitality of the United States—including agriculture—that policymakers, water managers, and water users work collaboratively to achieve sustainable water resource management. Multiple issues require attention—water quality, environmental water needs, municipal demands for water, water resource availability, agricultural water use—and no issue can be addressed individually. This paper discusses the diverse demands for water resources—past, current, and future—using the impacts, regulations, challenges, and policies of specific U.S. states as examples. The authors indicate that the reliability of water quantity and quality deserves the attention of all levels of government and that private and public sector leadership will be critical.