Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)

10/31/2026

Weekly Wave 10.30.26: IN THIS ISSUE: TAAP, Webinar Recap, Sandstorm, Summer Research Opportunity forum https://bit.ly/4A46rGz.

Members of the WRRC Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP) team recently participated in two events highlighting cross-border collaboration and research on shared water challenges along the US–Mexico border.

10/29/2026

The plan includes significant mandatory water cuts to the Lower Basin states and was released in late July after state-designated negotiators failed to reach an agreement. If history is a guide, we may be waiting a long time for a legal resolution. Governor Katie Hobbs Arizona Department of Water Resources

On October 16, Arizona signed on to a lawsuit filed by Nevada over federal Colorado River water cuts to the Lower Basin States: Arizona, Nevada, and California. The suit challenges the Department of the Interior’s plan to deal with water shortages on the river.

10/27/2026

NVIS Webinar Highlights Food Sovereignty on Co-op Farm - At the San Xavier Cooperative Farm, members of the Tohono O’odham Nation grow traditional foods, work to rematriate Indigenous seeds, and follow the Tohono O’odham Himdag, or Way of Life. Amy Juan, a member of the Nation and the farm’s Administration Manager, spoke about her environmental and cultural work at a Native Voices in Stem (NVIS) webinar on October 14. Arizona Institute for Resilience San Xavier Co-Op Farm University of Arizona Indigenous Resilience Center https://bit.ly/47NU45A

10/26/2026

The study used GRACE satellite-based observations supplemented with in situ groundwater well data. GRACE has revealed eye-opening, world-wide groundwater depletions. American Geophysical Union (AGU) ESA - European Space Agency https://bit.ly/4iifFIh

A study of drought impacts on water storage in the Colorado River Basin, published in the October issue of Water Resources Research, documents sustained groundwater depletion over the past two decades. The authors, from Virginia Tech and Indiana University, point to an acceleration of storage losses...

10/24/2026

Tucsonans gathered at The Loft Cinema to watch the 2026 documentary, The River, on the evening of October 14. The screening, which was hosted by the WRRC, offered an intimate look at the communities that rely on the Colorado River. The River
https://bit.ly/4jxJOWe

10/23/2026

We’ve received a lot of great submissions for the WRRC 2026 Annual Photo Contest, and there’s still time for you to show us your photos! Here’s a great one from last year by Max Roberts, runner-up in the wildlife category, titled Spadefoot in a Puddle. The University of Arizona University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences https://bit.ly/4smmnBC

10/21/2026

The annual report’s appendices contain details on specific activities and progress toward strategic goals. Our two-page 2026 Highlights, which provides summary information on our engagement and links to online WRRC resources, will also be posted soon. https://bit.ly/4eNyIJl

The WRRC is pleased to announce the publication of its FY 2026 Annual Report. The report highlights how, through applied research, outreach, and engagement, the WRRC continues to contribute to water resource planning, assessment, and capacity building, as well as to expand awareness and understandin...

10/20/2026

This report paints a sobering picture of voters’ attitudes about the state’s water resources—the majority of survey respondents were concerned that water resource systems should be ready for future growth and a more arid future. Center for the Future of Arizona

Early voting opened on October 7, and over 160,000 Arizonans have already cast their ballots. For many Arizonans, securing the state’s water future is a high priority. According to polling from the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, the majority of li...

10/19/2026

Jennifer McIntosh Named AGU Fellow! McIntosh studies water beneath the earth’s crust—the solutes and gases that dissolve in it, the microbial communities that live in it, and its movements throughout geologic history. Congratulations Jennifer! American Geophysical Union (AGU)
https://bit.ly/4ipMy6Z

University of Arizona professor Jennifer McIntosh was named a Union Fellow for her contributions to hydrology by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) late last month. The Union Fellowship is among the AGU’s highest honors and is awarded annually to a cohort of exceptional geophysical scholars whos...

10/16/2026

Weekly Wave 10.16.26 In this issue: ShanghaiRanking, Annual Report, Election, Research Spotlight

University ranking organizations place the U of A high on scales of research quality and educational performance. In the 2027 ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), the U of A ranked highly in several academic subjects, including water resources, which ranked #6 among public a...