Water Milestones

An event not much noted outside the water world — nor an occasion for much celebration within the water world either — October 1 marked the beginning of a new water year. Why Oct.1 should be the New Water Year Day is somewhat of a puzzle. One theory relates it to the stream flow cycle. After the minimal summer flows, river flow picks up in the fall and winter. Another theory says it has to do with the agricultural cycle, with September the end of the growing season and October the beginning of a new year for the farmer. Easy to overlook was another water event that might have slipped by unnoticed except for Ken Seasholes’ remarkable knowledge of the ins-and-outs of the Groundwater Management Act — and also, as will be seen, its in-between. In a Sept. 23 email, with the subject line “Hurry, only 8,137 days left,” Ken, a Water Resources Specialist for the Tucson Active Management Area, noted: “Last night at the stroke of midnight Arizona passed a significant milestone — the halfway point from enactment of the Groundwater Management Act to 2025.” (From June 12, 1980 to December 31, 2024 = 16,274 days) He then went on to place the event in a social and cultural perspective: “2025 has always seemed distant and slightly mysterious, but now it is 1980 that is more distant. Enacted before the dawn of MTV (1981), the IBM personal computer (1981) or Compact Disc (1983), the GMA remains one of the state’s most important legislative achievements. Ken then provided a “then-and-now” scenario of various significant milestones, with then indicating 1980 and now representing now or 2002. President: then Jimmy Carter, now George W. Bush; Governor: then Bruce Babbitt, now Jane Hull; AZ Population: then 2.7 million, now 5.5 million; Gallon of Gas: then $1.25, now $1.42; Average Fuel MPG for New Vehicles: then 22.5 MPG, now 20.4 MPG; Inflation: then 12.5%, now 1.5%; Headlines: then Soviet Union invades Afghanistan; Iraq invades Iran, now United States invades Afghanistan; U.S. may invade Iraq; First Class Stamp: then $0.15, now $0.37; Fast Computer: then 4.77 MHZ, now 2.0 GHZ (2,000 MHZ); Top Grossing Film: then The Empire Strikes Back, now Spiderman; #1 TV Show: then Dallas, now Everyone Loves Raymond.

Mark Your Calenders

The University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center is planning a spring conference, scheduled for May 1 and 2, 2003, to be held in Prescott. The conference is tentatively entitled, "Local Approaches to Resolving Water Resource Issues: What's Working, What Hasn't Worked, and Building on Existing Efforts." Conference presentations will include assessments of current state and regional water management strategies and identification of new and emerging management needs and strategies. The WRRC plans to attract speakers and attendees from across the state to foster understanding of the differences as well as the similarities in water resource challenges.
The spring event is the latest in a series of conferences sponsored by the WRRC. The intent of the conferences is to provide a forum for various state interests to discuss critical water issues.

The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) organized the Arizona Water Festival. The third annual event was held on Sept. 27th, with 1,000 fourth grade students and their teacher participating at WestWorld in Scottsdale. A number of fun learning stations were set up to provide students with a variety of hands-on activities. In the above photo, children are involved in a water hauling activity to learn about water supplies and the weight of a gallon of water. Project WET also provides throughout the year water education workshops for teachers. For information about the workshops contact Kerry Schwartz; phone: 520-792-9591, X 22; email: kschwart@ag.arizona.edu or check the web site: www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/wet