WRRC TRIF-Water Sustainability Program Funded ProjectsThe Water Resources Research Center is host center to many projects funded by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) of the Water Sustainability Program (WSP) at the University of Arizona . The following TRIF funded projects were affliliated with the WRRC. These projects address water education, water policy and planning, and water conservation in the state. All projects have educational and outreach components that provide specific products and services for the target audiences that include school children, the general public, water professionals, and agricultural and landscape industries. |
For a complete listing of projects
for the following fiscal years select the appropriate year:
2007/2008
2006/2007
2005/2006
2004/2005
2003/2004 These listings are maintained at the Water Sustainibility site: http://www.uawater.arizona.edu
For a PDF version of the project listings, select the year:2007/2008 2006/2007 2005/2006 2004/2005 2003/2004 |
Projects Funded in 2007-2008Brine Minimization/Salt Management Using VSEP® Technology to Maximize Water Recovery. $49,945 – 1 year. Eric Betterton, Dept of Atmospheric Sciences/Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Robert Arnold and Wendell Ela, Dept of Chemical & Environmental Engineering.Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations in Central Arizona Project (CAP) water are more than twice as high as those of native groundwater in the Tucson area. As the region shifts from reliance on groundwater toward use of southern Arizona’s full annual allotment of CAP water, necessary for a sustainable regional water supply, RO (reverse osmosis) treatment may be needed to satisfy public preference. If RO is pursued, it will probably be applied to a portion of the region’s annual CAP allotment before the RO-treated and untreated fractions are recombined and distributed. However, the efficiency of water recovery during RO treatment is limited by membrane fouling. Without pretreatment for barium ion removal, operational recoveries will be only about 0.75 (the ratio of permeate to influent flows) during RO treatment of CAP water in order to avoid precipitation of BaSO4(s). This project will develop a pilot-scale demonstration of Vibratory Shear Enhanced Processing (VSEP) technology to improve recovery. Compound Specific Isotope Analysis of Natural Attenuation Activity in Chlorinated-Solvent Contaminated Aquifers in Arizona. $23,834 – 1 year. Mark Brusseau, Dept of Soil, Water & Environmental Science. Chlorinated solvents are the most common contaminants at the state and federal Superfund sites in Arizona and given their myriad toxicological effects, pose a great risk to human health. The remediation of polluted soil and groundwater at the many chlorinated-solvent contaminated sites present in Arizona is of prime importance for enduring a safe and sustainable potable water supply. Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) has recently gained great interest as a low-cost approach for site remediation. The goal of this project is to enhance the viability and effectiveness of MNA for remediation of chlorinated-solvent contaminated sites in Arizona. The specific objective of this project is the development of a characteristic tool (CSI analysis) that will permit rapid and accurate screening of the suitability of using MNA for Arizona sites. Arizona Project WET Evaluation: Examining Impact and Developing a Computer-based Tutorial and Assessment System $49,979 – 1 year.Jerome D’Agostino, Dept of Educational Psychology and Kerry Schwartz, Water Resources Research Center. There is a critical need to educate citizens and future citizens about Arizona’s water resources and promote the adoption of a conservation ethic and to offer education that is research-based and meets state standards and testing requirements. Project WET is the leading K-12 water education program nationally and internationally and Arizona Project WET has aligned its curriculum to state standards and added state specific relevancy. Numerous studies suggest that high-quality instruction can make a significant difference in student learning. The purpose of this project will be to (1) examine the effectiveness of Arizona Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) under a best case scenario and to (2) create an online tutorial and assessment system to supplement extant Arizona Project WET resources. Estimating Water Use: Monitoring Rural Domestic Wells with Low-cost, Near-real Time Water Metering. $58,970- 2 years. Susan Pater, Kim McReynolds, Cado Daily, Cochise County Cooperative Extension, Sharon Megdal and Susanna Eden, Water Resources Research Center, David Quanrud, Arid Lands Studies, Gary Woodard and Ramon Vazquez, SAHRA, Dept of Hydrology & Water Resources. Lack of information on domestic well pumpage is a source of uncertainty in water policy and planning decisions. Pumpage from domestic wells is significant. There are 95,000 unmetered domestic wells in Arizona and they account for much of the groundwater pumping in many rapidly growing areas, such as the Verde Valley and Upper San Pedro. Without information, policy makers have not been able to judge the magnitude of the problem represented by unmetered domestic wells. In Cochise County specifically, planners have little confidence that the 312 gallons per person per day (gpcd) being used in the county’s Babocomari Area Plan is an accurate, defensible number on which to base their decisions. This study will estimate pumping levels and patterns of water use in exempt domestic wells in Cochise County. Data will be collected and analyzed to establish and verify a credible and realistic rural water use value that can be used to resolve water planning and zoning issues and to serve as a model for replication. San Pedro River Volunteer Monitoring, Community Watershed Alliance, Cochise County, AZ. $4,895 – 1 year.Kristine Uhlman, Water Resources Research Center and Phil Guertin, School of Natural Resources. The City of Benson, within the Benson subwatershed, could see a ten-fold increase in population in coming years. Development of a regional water budget is critical for the long-term welfare of the aquifer that is the sole water supply source and the citizens who depend on it. Volunteers from the Community Watershed Alliance (CWA) will be given training and the instrumentation needed to develop a water budget for their area. This monitoring project will provide important base-line information and long-term records to help with water resource management decisions. Volunteer efforts will include mapping wet/dry reaches of the San Pedro prior to the monsoon, coordinating access permission during the project implementation, continuation of the riparian vegetation monitoring established in 2006, community outreach and training, and data management. ‘Paper Water’ Demystified: An Economic Evaluation of CAGRD Spatial Dynamics. $26,434 - 1 year. Paul Wilson, Dept of Agricultural & Resource Economics, D. Phillip Guertin, School of Natural Resources, Sharon Megdal, Water Resources Research Center/Dept of Agricultural & Resource Economics. The sizable population growth anticipated in the central corridor between Phoenix and Tucson over the next several decades presents state water managers with a host of challenges related to water sustainability. One such challenge is to ensure that these new developments rely upon renewable water sources. To do so, a system of water accounting through the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) has evolved to release developers from the costly search for the physical availability of renewable water sources to meet demand. Yet water supply documented on paper (“paper water”) does not always match up with physically available water (“wet water”). While state water managers anticipate a policy change related to this issue in the future the short- and long-term economic implications of the spatial disconnect between paper water and wet water remain unclear. Our spatial economic analysis of the CAGRD program over the 2000-2040 time period, will be a timely study for policy makers as they grapple with these important issues. A detailed economic assessment and vulnerability maps, outputs from this project, will provide policy makers with a clearer understanding of the future economic role of the CAGRD in the central corridor of Arizona. |
Projects Funded in 2006/2007Spanish Translation and Reprints of the Booklet, Arizona: Know your Water (2004). $23,100 – 1 year. Janick Artiola, Dept of Soil & Water Science, Katherine Farrell-Poe, Dept of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. This project aims at facilitating the expanded transfer of water-related information in the form of a TRIF funded publication, Arizona: Know your Water (2004), to interested Arizona consumers. A Spanish translation of this popular booklet would provide much needed information on home water treatment alternatives to the Spanish-speaking population of Arizona. A new printing of the English version will further enhance the distribution of a well received consumer water information booklet to the general public. On-line Access to Distance-Learning Tools for Watershed Stewardship in Rural Arizona. $41,469 - 1 year. Robert Emanuel, Arizona Cooperative Extension, Garry Forger, Learning Technologies Center, George Zaimes, School of Natural Resources, Michael Crimmins, Dept of Soil, Water, & Environmental Science. The Arizona Master Watershed Steward Program—a partnership of the Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality—provides community-driven outreach on watershed management to residents of Arizona. The program, however, has additional goals in that it seeks to increase its reach into rural and isolated areas and enhance skills-based learning to those populations. The Program plans to utilize distance-learning tools to enhance learning during the periods between the weekly or monthly classes that the program offers to the public. The Learning Technologies Center and Arizona Cooperative Extension will collaborate to achieve these goals. Valuation of Binational Effluent in the Upper Santa Cruz Basin: Estimating Willingness to Pay. $39,552- 1 year. George Frisvold, Dept of Agricultural & Resource Economics, Terry Sprouse, Water Resources Research Center. Effluent originating in Mexico, but treated and used in Santa Cruz County, Arizona provides many services to southern Arizona – recharging aquifers, sustaining a riparian corridor, attracting tourists, and increasing land values. A FY 2005 WSP project provides a broad assessment of the value of the riparian corridor to the community. This project focuses on directly estimating willingness to pay for the Mexican effluent and its contribution to the riparian corridor, using a contingent valuation survey. Comparative analysis of prices paid for effluent in other locales will also be used to assess willingness to pay for effluent for other uses. Watershed Rainfall, Ground Water Usage, Riparian Stream Flow and Vegetation Monitoring, Middle San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, AZ. $2,500 - 1 year. Phil Guertin, Kristine Uhlman, School of Natural Resources. This project will assist volunteers from the Community Watershed Alliance (CWA), a partnership of private citizen stakeholders from 5 communities and land-use managers in the Middle San Pedro Watershed by providing instrumentation and training to develop a water budget for their area. Volunteer efforts will include measuring rainfall, intermittent stream flow in response to periodic rainfall, riparian vegetation, and ground water extraction. This project will place 20 rain gages, 10 ground water flow meters, 6 stream flow observation stations across the watershed, and provide training for monitoring riparian vegetation in the Middle San Pedro. Predicting Groundwater Vulnerability to Nitrate in Arizona. $69,992 - 1 year. Tauhidur Rahman, Dept of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Kristine Uhlman, School of Natural Resources. The purpose of this project is to (1) develop appropriate statistical models to predict vulnerability of groundwater to nitrate concentrations in Arizona and to (2) generate “probability maps” that delineate areas of Arizona according to the probability of detecting nitrate concentrations. The analysis will inform the ADEQ and other decision-makers as to the magnitude, extent, distribution, and uncertainty of current and anticipated nitrate risks, and can help regional and local water managers protect water supplies by targeting land-use planning solutions and implementing monitoring programs where ground water may be vulnerable. Mapping Accumulation of Soil Salinity in Landscapes Irrigated with Reclaimed Water .$31,154- 1 year. Ursula Schuch, Dept of Plant Sciences, James Walworth, Dept of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences. The proposed research aims to understand how long-term use of reclaimed water affects soil quality and plant performance in landscapes. Soil salinity of landscape sites irrigated for five or more years with reclaimed or potable water will be mapped using soil samples and EM38 technology that uses electromagnetic induction sensors to measure soil salinity in situ. This information can be used to develop management strategies that prevent degradation of soil structure and accumulation of salts in the root zone as sources of irrigation water increase in salinity. Implementation of Efficient Surface Irrigation Practices in the Lower Colorado River Region.$40,000 - 1 year. Dawit Zerihun, Charles A. Sanchez, Yuma Agricultural Center. Surface irrigation is the principal method of irrigation practiced in the lower Colorado River region. Recent research has demonstrated that there is potential for substantial improvement in surface irrigation performance through the implementation of improved management practices and guidelines we have developed in our research program. However, widespread adaptation of these practices by growers has not yet occurred. This project seeks to hasten the transfer of this technology by overcoming existing obstacles to adaptation and by providing bilingual outreach and training to growers and irrigators in the region. |
Projects Funded in 2005/06Arizona Project WET Evaluation: Examining Impact and Developing Water Education Assessment Tools for Students. $49,351 - 1 year. Dr. Jerome D’Agostino, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, Kerry Schwartz, Water Resources Research Center, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This purpose of this project will be to (1) examine the effectiveness of Arizona Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) and to (2) develop assessment tools to measure students’ understanding of water and general science principles. Project WET presently serves as an instrumental and valuable educational resource for K-12 students and teachers to study and learn about water conservation and properties. To date, however, the effectiveness of the program has not been adequately documented, especially in Arizona schools. Besides yielding program impact information, an assessment tool will be available to gauge students’ learning of water across a variety of interventions. The Value of Binational Effluent and Sustainable Watershed Management in the Upper Santa Cruz Basin. $62,879 - 1 year. Terry Sprouse, The Water Resources Research Center and George Frisvold, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture, and Life Sciences. The purpose of this project is to place a value on the effluent that originates in Mexico but is treated and utilized in southern Arizona . The Mexican effluent provides many benefits to southern Arizona , for example, recharging aquifers, sustaining riparian habitat, attracting tourists and increasing land values. However, there are several potential projects that could divert the effluent from the river to other uses in both Mexico and Arizona ; including an electrical generating plant in Arizona , housing developments, or re-use of the effluent in Mexico . Promoting The Adoption Of Subsurface Drip Irrigation By Arizona’s Farmers. $20,094 - 3 years. Thomas L. Thompson, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, Edward Martin, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Patrick Clay, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, Mary Olsen, Department of Plant Pathology, Russell Tronstad, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, James Walworth, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Funds are requested to continue operation of “AZdrip”, the University of Arizona Subsurface Drip Irrigation Demonstration and Research Site, at the Maricopa Agricultural Center . This project features research on and demonstration of water-saving subsurface drip irrigation on a scale relevant to commercial agriculture. The overall objective of this project is to conduct research and to demonstrate this water-saving technology to Arizona crop producers. |
Projects Funded in 2004/05Enhancing Water Supply Reliability through Improved Predictive Capacity and Response . $147,500. 2 -Years. Kathy Jacobs, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science; Dr. Bonnie Colby, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics; Dr. David Meko, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research; Dr. Bart Nijssen, Hydrology and Water Resources/Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. This project is a multi-pronged approach to enhancing Arizona ’s water supply reliability from the Colorado River . We will: a) assess current Bureau of Reclamation use of climate information in river modeling; b) identify strategies to better utilize paleoclimatology, climate forecasts and climate change predictions to improve water supply predictive capacity for the lower Colorado River and the Central Arizona Project; c) evaluate existing state and federal management tools to translate improved predictive capacity into enhanced supply reliability for water users and d) develop practical supply reliability strategies for use by municipalities, irrigation districts and other stakeholders. Spanish-Language Landscape Water Conservation Program for the Green Industry. $8,777.1 – Year. Vicki S. Richards, Pima County Cooperative Extension/Low 4 Program. A large percentage of Green Industry personnel speak Spanish. Currently, there are very few public educational programs for this sector of the industry. However, these personnel are making many of the landscape and water management decisions for commercial and residential landscapes. The Low 4 Program runs a successful, recognized landscape water conservation program for the Green Industry called $martscape. Many landscape and nursery employers would like to send additional employees to $martscape training but their employees do not speak, understand and/or read English. Funds requested would allow for printed material translation and matching funds would pay for conducting a $martscape training series with Spanish-speaking instruction. Early Irrigation Termination of Cotton as a Drought Mitigation Strategy. $75,389. 2 – Years. Dr. Russell Tronstad, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics; Jeffrey C. Silvertooth, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. We propose to research the economic impact of growing a very reduced season cotton crop that utilizes much less water than traditional protocols. This very reduced season has never before been researched. The basis for our economic assessment will be field trials of five different irrigation termination dates and twelve modern varieties. Impacts on revenue (lint yield and quality differences) and production costs will be quantified. A primary benefit of this research is quantifying the marginal value of water for the entire cotton growth cycle, thus, identifying how to manage cotton as part of a possible drought mitigation plan. |
Projects Funded in 2003/04The Water Wagon: A Mobile Laboratory and Education Center. $126,900. 3 – Years. Dr. Randall Norton, Graham County Cooperative Extension, Dr. Lee Clark, Safford Agricultural Center, Sue Martin, Graham County Cooperative Extension, Jonie Burge, Safford Agricultural Center. This project involves the modification and use of a mobile trailer, to bring water education to K-12 students in Graham, Greenlee and northern Cochise counties. Students will rotate through hands-on experiments at four stations focusing on the water cycle, watershed education, groundwater dynamics, and water chemistry/biology housed in a specially designed mobile laboratory. As the first of its kind in the state, it will deliver water education to rural areas and serve as a prototype for use in other counties across Arizona .
A handbook of water quality parameters, water quality standards, and home treatment options produced for the general public to assist them in making informed decisions about the need and use of potentially costly home water treatment. An electronic version will also be available for direct web access. Arizona Water and Pesticide CD. $19,110. 1- Year. Louis Carlo, Department of Entomology and Cooperative Extension, Dr. Paul Baker, Department of Entomology and Cooperative Extension. The use and misuse of pesticides due to drift, over application, and unsafe storage are leading to accumulating pesticide residues in our waterways. The Arizona Water and Pesticide Safety CD is a multimedia distance learning course that will explain the problem of pesticides in our waterways and it will teach safety guidelines to protect community health and environmental quality. Plans include the distribution of this multimedia distance learning course throughout Arizona . This CD will strengthen outreach and education aimed at providing a high-quality water supply and watershed environment in Arizona . Evaluation of M&I Water Conservation Measures Through Actual Water Savings & Cost/Benefit Analysis. $67,466. 2 – Years. Val Little, Drachman Institute, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. An evaluation of municipal and industrial water conservation programs/strategies implemented in Arizona and throughout the West. Analyses will be done to determine actual water savings, costs and benefits for targeted conservation measures and a comparison between measures as well. The information generated will be used to produce a needed primary resource and reference document, an interactive web site for potential program evaluation for water managers statewide enabling them to save water and use existing resources more efficiently. The goal is to achieve the greatest water saving per dollar spent on water conservation efforts. Improved Turf and Landscape Irrigation Management for Northern Arizona. $126,020. 3 – Years. Dr. Paul Brown, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Dr. Peter Waller, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Water shortages are developing in many areas of Northern Arizona as population growth and expansion of tourism accelerate water use. Water used for landscape irrigation has come under considerable scrutiny in recent years as drought conditions shrink already limited supplies of water. The objective of this project is to improve the efficiency of landscape irrigation in Northern Arizona by developing a multifaceted educational program. Specific aspects of the program will include the development of: 1) publications that describe and encourage proper landscape irrigation management in high elevation areas; 2) a website to disseminate project information; 3) irrigation demonstration projects; 4) annual landscape irrigation workshops in Payson, Flagstaff, and Prescott; and 5) a small network of automated weather stations that will improve irrigation management by providing accurate estimates of evaporative demand in Payson, Flagstaff, and Prescott Tailored Drought Planning for Arizona. $95,140. 2 – Years. Dr. Greg Garfin, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, Dr. Barbara Morehouse, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth/Department of Geography and Regional Development, Dr. Andrew Comrie, Department of Geography and Regional Development. The recent drought and its differential impacts across the state highlighted the lack of a statewide process for identifying and addressing water management stresses, particularly in rural areas. This project, conducted in coordination with the Arizona Drought Task Force, will include (1) analysis and synthesis of hydroclimatological information on drought at temporal and spatial scales useful for drought monitoring and decision making, (2) identification of local-scale sensitivities and vulnerabilities to drought within Arizona, (3) characterization of interactions among risk factors across different levels from local to state to federal, and (4) education and outreach emphasizing interpretation and use of scientific information, forecasts, and related decision tools. |