Arizona Town Hall Addresses Water Issues

WRRC part of UA team taking part

The 85th Arizona Town Hall, conducted Oct. 31 - Nov. 3 at the Grand Canyon, was titled “Arizona’s Water Future: Challenges and Opportunities.” The Town Hall is an Arizona institution. A town hall event is conducted twice a year, with organizers inviting prominent people and leaders throughout Arizona to meet and discuss an assigned topic. After several days of discussions, the participants agree on a list of findings and recommendations.

A team from the University of Arizona prepared the background report that provided information to Town Hall participants, some of whom lacked a broad background in water affairs. The seven-member UA team included two members from WRRC: Sharon Megdal, WRRC director and Kathy Jacobs, specialist. The UA team also participated in the discussion sessions.

Any effort that attempts to fully report on two full days of Town Hall discussions involving 170 participants organized into five study groups would face a daunting task. Fortunately information from the Town Hall, both the background document and the final report, are available at the Town Hall web site (http://www.aztownhall.org/) and at the WRRC web site (http://cals.arizona.edu/azwater/)

There was, however, a Town Hall message beyond the facts, information, findings and recommendations that developed from the sessions. A recurring phrase heard during the discussions was that most citizens’ interest in water is generally limited to its availability at the tap. If the tap is turned and water pours out most citizens are not prompted to engage in much more water thinking. Even some of the Town Hall participants admitted to this attitude. What this means in effect is that most people take water for granted. Any call to action then — and the Town Hall was a call to action — must encourage people to think about water in Arizona: where it comes from, how much there is, its quality and the many associated issues. This was the essential Town Hall message, to encourage Arizonans to become water literate. (See “Public Policy Review,” page 11, for fuller discussion of Arizona Town Hall issues.)

News of WRRC’s conference, water map, CD-ROM and more...

This issue of the AWR newsletter contains information about the Water Resource Research Center, its plans, projects and activities. In fact, after having worked with various organizations to produce supplements for previous editions of the newsletter, we have reserved this issue’s supplement for information about ourselves, the Water Resources Research Center.

Check the supplement for information about the WRRC annual conference to be held in Tucson, April 6, 2005. The conference topic is “Water and the Environment: The Role of Ecosystem Restoration.”
The supplement also contains information about an upcoming special event that the WRRC has been working on, “Water Expo - 2005.” The event will present current water sustainability efforts now underway in Arizona; the targeted audience includes Arizona State Legislators and Arizona water professionals. The event will be held Jan. 25 on the Senate lawn of the Arizona State Capitol.

Also, see page eight of the newsletter, “Publications,” for information about two WRRC products: the Arizona Water Map and the Desert Landscaping CD ROM, Version 2.0, the long-awaited revision of a standard Southwest resource used by thousands of home and professional gardeners.

Where the Buffaloes Roam Among the 170 participants attending the Arizona Town Hall was a small herd of Water Buffaloes. The above badge, along with a knowing aura of water wisdom, set them apart from other Town Hall participants. The origin of the Arizona Water Buffalo species is uncertain. Some say the original Water Buffaloes were the early proponents of the Central Arizona Project. Others say it was a term of abuse for advocates of Orme Dam. Now, however, it seems to refer to an elder statesman, one who has weathered the ups and downs of Arizona water affairs.

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