Study Says, Water Can Decide Presidential Election
One would be laboring the obvious if insisting on the political significance of water. Water or the lack of it is an issue to inflame political passions, provoke conflict and controversy, sow seeds of distrust among neighboring states and countries, and it makes up the stuff of much local, state, national and international law and public policy. In short, water is a highly charged political issue. Yet, a couple of Princeton researchers attribute to water an even a greater political significance than hitherto has been acknowledged. It is a significance worthy of attention during this presidential election year. An August 30 story in the “New Yorker” on voter behavior reports that in a paper written in 2004 political scientists Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels estimate that “2.8 million people voted against Al Gore because their states were too dry or too wet” as the result of that year’s climactic conditions. Achen and Bartels go on to say these voters likely cost Gore seven states, any one of which would have given him the election. Mark Twain’s statement to the effect that everyone complains about the weather but no one does anything about it may not be true. They vote.

Water’s Economic Importance
Like its political significance, water’s economic importance can be manifested in unlikely ways. The following poem, “Money as Water,” is by Kurt Brown.

“Cash flows” “liquid assets” “pooling our
resources” —
it’s clear that money falls from heaven,
drops in pennies, nickels, dimes, to gather
in the small depressions of our hands ...
It’s clear how money
passes through our hands like water,
and our sources, once dried up, leave us
thirsting after more ...
How all we have
goes down the drain, and we get soaked.

WRRC News and Information

The Water Resources Research Center has recently hired a new staff member, and WRRC staff is involved in organizing and teaching a University of Arizona course on Arizona water policy.

WRRC Hires Researcher

Justin Ferris recently joined WRRC as coordinator of applied research. Ferris earned a B.S. in geology at Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in hydrology at the University of Arizona. His research areas include general surface-water and groundwater hydrology; fluvial geomorphology and paleoflood hydrology; post-wildfire flood hydrology; and the hydrology and geology of Mars. Prior to joining WRRC, Ferris was National Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow within the Water Resources Discipline at the U.S. Geological Survey, Denver. The coordinator of applied research position was created to expand WRRC’s analysis of public policy issues.

WRRC's Project WET Makes a Splashd The fifth annual “Make a Splash with Project WET Water Festivals” occurred in Arizona on Sept. 24, National Water Education Day. Above is the Ganado festival, held at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site on the Navajo Nation. Festivals were held in Chandler, Safford, Ganado and Phoenix, with 80 teachers, 2200 students, 80 parents and over 240 volunteers participating in the interactive water education events. Photo: John Davison, Flagstaff Water Department

WRRC Director, Specialist Teach AZ Water Policy Course

Water Resources Research Center Director Sharon Megdal and WRRC Specialist Kathy Jacobs will be teaching a University of Arizona course, “Arizona Water Policy,” during spring semester 2005. Through readings, research, discussion and presentations, students will be exposed to water resource issues facing Arizona and the West, as well as the public policies devised to address the critical issues. The faculty will discuss and analyze the development and implementation of real-world water policy.

Water Center Home -- AWR Home -- Search