Sharon B. Megdal

Director, Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)

520-621-9591
520-792-8518
smegdal@email.arizona.edu
350 North Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719

- CURRICULUM VITAE
- PUBLIC POLICY COLUMNS
- PHOTO FOR DOWNLOAD
- BIO PDF

Sharon B. Megdal is Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a Cooperative Extension center and a research unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her work focuses on water policy and management, on which she writes and frequently speaks. She also holds the titles: Professor and Specialist, Department of Environmental Science; C.W. & Modene Neely Endowed Professor; and Distinguished Outreach Professor.

The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international. Projects include: comparative evaluation of water management, policy, and governance in water-scarce regions; groundwater recharge; and transboundary aquifer assessment. She is the lead editor of the book, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges. Her policy columns and Reflections can be found at https://wrrc.arizona.edu/director. Dr. Megdal teaches the multi-disciplinary graduate course “Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions”. She was named the 2020 recipient of the Warren A. Hall Medal for lifetime achievement in water resources research and education by the Universities Council on Water Resources.

Sharon Megdal serves as Board President, International Arid Lands Consortium and Board Member, American Water Resources Association and represents the residents of Pima County on the elected Board of Directors for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, also known as the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The CAP delivers Colorado River water to Central Arizona. Dr. Megdal has served on numerous Arizona boards and commissions, including the Arizona Corporation Commission, the State Transportation Board, and the Arizona Medical Board. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University.

Email address: smegdal@arizona.edu
Mailing address: Water Resources Research Center, The University of Arizona, 350 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 USA
Office Phone: 1-520-621-9591; Fax: 1-520-792-8518; Mobile: 1-520-241-0298
WRRC web site: wrrc.arizona.edu
Director’s web page with full CV: http://wrrc.arizona.edu/director

Publications by Sharon B. Megdal

Publications

06/15/2020

Jeff Eisenberg
Sharon Megdal
Priya Sundareshan
Donald Braelan Barnett
Myrna Seiter
Bethany Sullivan
Robert Davis
Peter Mather

2020 WOTUS Rule

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with one of its most precious resources — water. By the 1970s, aggressive development in the United States necessitated the implementation of regulatory measures to protect the environment. Since then, the debate has focused not on whether the environment should be protected, but how comprehensively that regulatory protection should extend. Nowhere has this debate been more evident than with the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS).

01/24/2019

Sharon B. Megdal
Adriana Zuniga Teran
Robert G. Varady
Nathaniel Delano
Andrea K. Gerlak
Ethan T. Vimont

Groundwater governance in the United States: A mosaic of approaches

Groundwater is an important water supply for meeting municipal, industrial, and agricultural water demands and for supporting riparian and other ecological systems in the United States (U.S.). Effective groundwater governance is therefore crucial to the wise use of this largely non-renewable resource (recharge rates are slower than extraction rates). While minimum, federally-established drinking-water quality and water-discharge regulations do exist, the framework of the laws and regulations governing groundwater use in this country is highly decentralized.

12/06/2018

Ayoup M. Ghraira
Othman A. Al-Mashaqbeha
Mohmd K. Sarirehb
Nedal Al-Kouza
Mahmoud Farfouraa
Sharon B. Megdal

Influence of grey water on physical and mechanical properties of mortar and concrete mixes

This project aims to evaluate the potential of reused grey water in concrete and mortar in order to preserve fresh water for drinking purposes. Using both Treated Grey Water and Raw Grey Water (TGW and RGW, respectively) led to a significant increase in the initial setting time and a decrease in the concrete slump value.

Jurimetrics promises to cut windows in the house of law, so that those inside can see out, and to cut doors, so that those outside can get in

10/01/2018

Sharon B. Megdal
Jacob Petersen-Perlman

Decentralized Groundwater Governance and Water Nexus Implications in the United States

The interconnectivities of groundwater to food, energy, and the climate are addressed to various degrees at the state level. Groundwater governance in the United States is decentralized, resulting in considerable variations in state practices. This article, published in Jurimetrics and written by Sharon B. Megdal and Jacob Petersen-Perlman, reports on two state-level surveys and three regional case studies conducted to better understand groundwater governance strategies and practices. The article also relates the results of these research efforts to food, energy, and climate.

09/14/2018

James B. Callegary
Sharon B. Megdal
Elia M. Tapia Villasenor
Jacob D. Petersen-Perlman
Ismael Minjarez Sosa
Rogelio Monreal
Floyd Gray
Francisco Grijalva Noriega

Findings and lessons learned from the assessment of the Mexico-United States transboundary San Pedro and Santa Cruz aquifers:

Groundwater, the "invisible water," is difficult to assess, manage and govern for many reasons, mostly due to the unknown quantities of the resource. Political boundaries dividing groundwater aquifers make assessment even more challenging. This article focuses on lessons learned from the hydrologic assessment of the Transboundary San Pedro and Santa Cruz aqufiers. The authors conducted the work in two phases: (1) laying the groundwork and (2) implementation.

06/06/2018

Sharon B. Megdal
Ethan Vimont
Andrea K. Gerlak
Jacob Petersen-Perlman

State-level Groundwater Governance and Management in the U.S.: Summary of Survey Results of Groundwater Quality Strategies and Practices

Groundwater governance and management practices vary considerably across the United States. To better understand groundwater governance strategies and practices connected to water quality in the United States, a team from the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center designed and launched a nationwide survey in 2016. The goal of the project was to identify on-the-ground practices of groundwater governance that may help to improve and enhance management of the nation’s water supplies, particularly within the realm of groundwater quality.