Tooting Our Horn

The Water Resources Research Center chalked up several successes lately. WRRC staff wrote a recently-published report, Water in the Tucson Area: Seeking Sustainability. (See "Publications" for details.) The Arizona Daily Star described the 155-page publication as offering "an encyclopedic range of information about local water issues, from 19th century well digging to current conservation strategies." The Tucson Citizen described it as "a comprehensive, politically untainted exam of water issues in the Tucson area" and "a valuable tool." We're just really glad it's done.

WRRC staff also prepared a newspaper supplement that was distributed with The Arizona Daily Star on Sunday, July 11. The 4-page full color supplement, printed by Tucson Newspapers, Inc. as a public service, contains information from the sustainability publication.

WRRC also has established a website with information about water research being conducted at the UA. This searchable data base is found at: http://ag.arizona.edu/uaresearch/

A final success story should be noted. Barbara Tellman, WRRC senior research specialist, received the first annual Arizona Audubon Council's "Educator of the Year" award. Barbara was recognized for her many publications, presentations and other good works in areas including riparian habitat, artificial wetlands, history of rivers, and impacts of exotic species.

Water Cliches to Fight About

"Whiskey's for drinking and water's for fighting about." So often quoted as to qualify as the premier water cliche of all times, at least in the West, this hackneyed and shop-worn remark labors at a truth. (The water cliche of next greatest currency is "Water flows uphill to money.") Often noted for its relaxing and aesthetic qualities, water also has sown a lot of ill will and provoked many conflicts, both within and among nations.

Resolving Water Conflicts

Knowing that battle lines are often drawn over water President Truman once offered a suggestion to soothe troubled waters. In a speech in Kansas City in April 1945, Truman said, "When Kansas and Colorado have a quarrel over water in the Arkansas River, they don't call out the National Guard in each state and go to war over it. They bring suit in the Supreme Court of the United States and abide by the decision. There isn't a reason in the world why we cannot do that internationally."

One might at first be taken with how the remark admirable reflects the American post-war feeling of buoyancy. Our way triumphed, and other nations would do well to look to us as a fitting model. Those of us familiar with Arizona water history, however, might fault Truman for his oversight. At least one water conflict provoked a state to call up its National Guard against another state. In 1933, Arizona mustered troops to prevent California from building diversion works on the Colorado River.