WRRC Offers Water Map, Announces New Version of Desert Landscaping CD

Version 2.0 of the Desert Landscaping CD ROM, Desert Landscaping CD ROM, a Water Resources Research Center’s project to encourage appropriate desert plant selection, will be available in the spring. Desert Landscaping is a valuable tool for desert gardening needs, whether identifying the right plant for a container or choosing low water-use vegetation to landscape yard or patio. It has become a standard Southwest resource, used by thousands of home and professional gardeners. Over 10,000 copies of the first version were sold. The Desert Landscaping CD-ROM will be available at nurseries and bookshops. The CD also is available directly from the Water Resources Research Center for $30, including shipping.

Every state deserves a water map, and the Water Resources Research Center is the proud producer of the Arizona Water Map. The map was first published in 1994, and its presence on the walls of offices, classrooms and libraries attests to its popularity and usefulness. Over 7,000 copies of the map were distributed. A new version of the Arizona Water Map was published in 2002. Like the original map, this completed revised version was designed to be attractive and informative; in other words, to please the eye and engage the mind. Copies are available for $8.00 from the WRRC. Proceeds from the map are earmarked to support water related educational activities and for future reprinting costs.

Guía para la Conservación de las Aguas Grises
Val Little
Translators: Cesar García and Jason Cole; Editor: Guillermo Garcia

This is the Spanish version of “Graywater Guidelines,” a booklet written for the novice or layperson. It clarifies graywater issues in a simple and straightforward manner and includes helpful illustrations. The text will help readers decide if graywater is suitable for them and provides guidelines on a variety of appropriate materials and methods of system installation. The booklet is a publication of Water CASA (Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona). Check the Water CASA web site for information about the obtaining a copy. (http://www.watercasa.org)

Freshwater Resources: Managing the Risks Facing the Private Sector
Jason Morrison and Peter Gleick
A recent Pacific Institute report outlining the effects of water scarcity on businesses warns that water shortages could threaten corporate health. The report identifies a range of worrisome trends that impact businesses but also recommends ten steps companies can take to address water-related issues. Steps include measuring current water use and establishing water * with specific goals and performance targets. The report also gives examples of companies using these strategies. The report is available at http://www.pacinst.org/reports/business_risks_of_water/business_risks_of_water.pdf

Confronting the Nation’s Water Problems: The Role of Research
Committee on Assessment of Water Resources, The National Academies Press, $47 paperback, $42.30 if purchased online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11031.html. Also it can be read free online.
This congressionally mandated report calls for a new U.S. commitment to water resource research. An identified priority is for a new strategy to coordinate water research currently fragmented among nearly 20 federal agencies. According to the committee, various developments — competition for water among farmers, communities, aquatic ecosystems and other users, climate change and the threat of waterborne diseases — justify that an additional $70 million in federal funding be annually allocated to water research. Areas identified in special need of research include water demand and use and water supply augmentation. The report notes that overall real-term federal funding for water research has been stagnant for the past 30 years, with the portion dedicated to research on water use and social science topics actually having declined considerably.

Surveillance for Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks Associated with Drinking Water
Brian G. Blackburn
Fewer Americans have become sick from drinking tap water in 2001-2002 than the previous two-year period, according to a new study. Just published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” the report looks at 31 waterborne disease outbreaks (WBDO) that were reported in 19 states. To obtain this study, go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5308a4.htm