Legacy of the Oak Creek Watershed: Preserving Our Past, Present, and Future
Oak Creek Watershed Council, January 2015
A new book, Legacy of the Oak Creek Watershed: Preserving Our Past, Present and Future, examines the watershed from an environmentally holistic perspective, detailing the recreational opportunities, human history, geologic timeline, hydrologic cycle, water law, ecological diversity, and the challenges and opportunities to protect and preserve the integrity of the Oak Creek watershed. Published by the Oak Creek Watershed Council, a local nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable future of Oak Creek and its watershed, the 160-page full color book was the result of contributions from more than 30 individuals, organizations, and citizens groups.It is available for purchase through the Oak Creek Watershed Council website at http://www.oakcreekwatershed.org/shopocwc as a hardcopy, Kindle version, or downloadable PDF.
Ecological Restoration in the U.S.- Mexico Border Region
Good Neighbor Environmental Board, December 2014
In December 2014, the Good Neighbor Environmental Board published its 16th report to the President and the Congress, entitled Ecological Restoration in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. Since its creation in 1992 (Public Law 102-532) the Good Neighbor Environmental Board has been charged with submitting an annual report to the President and the Congress, created “to serve as a nonpartisan advisor to the President and the Congress and recommend how the federal government can most effectively work with its many partners to improve conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border”, the Board in 2014 dedicated its efforts to border ecology. The report documents issues of environmental degradation along the border, federal actions to ameliorate damage, and recommends activities that could improve the effectiveness of U.S. federal government management of natural resources in the region. The report contains descriptions of current ecological restoration activities, the challenges to their implementation, and opportunities to improve outcomes, citing multiple examples. It then looks specifically at three major watersheds, the Tijuana River, Colorado River, and Rio Grande, to explore how challenges can be overcome. It ends with a list of four major recommendations: that the federal government take a proactive approach to protect existing ecological resources; promote restoration projects; work with Mexican partners; and evaluate flow management options that include use of irrigation and wastewater. The report is available online at http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-12/documents/16th_gneb_report_english_final_web.pdf.
Water Quality in Basin-Fill Aquifers of the Southwestern United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, 1993–2009
Susan A. Thiros, Angela P. Paul, Laura M. Bexfield, and David W. Anning, U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1358, 2014
A new USGS report describes the occurrence of, trends in, and factors controlling concentrations of contaminants in the Southwest basin-fill aquifers of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. It highlights how geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and chemical use affect the concentrations of individual contaminants, and how water use—through irrigation and pumping—has affected concentrations of contaminants from both geologic and manmade sources. USGS scientists assessed water quality in more than 1,000 wells. Contaminants from geologic sources are more common in the basin-fill aquifers than in many other aquifers in the U.S. because of the hot and dry climate, long groundwater flow paths, and the types of rocks and sediments present. The authors found that one in every three drinking-water-well samples contained at least one contaminant at a concentration of potential concern for human health. In particular, arsenic and uranium derived from geologic sources are potential drinking-water concerns. Irrigation and pumping have greatly altered natural flow systems in some areas, carrying manmade contaminants down to shallow and deep groundwater. The report is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1358/
A Case Study in Efficiency: Agriculture and Water Use in the Yuma, Arizona Area
Yuma County Agriculture Water Coalition, February 2015
The Yuma area is one of the most productive agricultural centers in the United States. A new case study compiled by the Yuma County Agricultural Water Coalition, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, and the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) draws on both qualitative and quantitative data to tell the story of agricultural water use in the Yuma area. Sections on the Colorado River water supply, water conveyance, and delivery infrastructure; irrigation management, the economic contribution of Yuma County agriculture, and environmental water use are intended to show the efficiency of water use in the highly productive agricultural fields of Yuma County. Authors include N.W. “Bill” Plummer, President of the Agribusiness and Water Council of Arizona; Paul W. Brown; Kurt D. Nolte; Charles A. Sanchez; George Frisvold of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Patricia Ware, past chair of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Corporation. Appendixes present additional information on the Yuma and Gila Projects, Colorado River law, and crops grown in the Yuma area. The case study proposes that by reporting on the evolution of the Yuma area’s highly productive and water efficient agriculture, readers will recognize how little room there is for additional water savings. The case study is available online at www.agwateryuma.com