Posted by admin on February 14, 2012 under M&A News |
One hundred years ago today, Arizona became a state. We thought it might be fun to celebrate by posting this classic paper, which was coauthored by Dr. John Harshbarger, who played an integral role in M&A’s history. Published in 1966 as USGS Water Supply Paper 1648, Arizona Water provides a nontechnical, historical perspective on the state’s water issues. Although the dominant water uses here have changed since 1966, the issues — groundwater overdraft, degrading water quality, waterlogging, and land subsidence, coupled with a rapidly increasing population — still challenge us today. Here’s an excerpt:
The vital need for additional water in Arizona is recognized by most of its citizens. If additional water cannot be obtained, the alternatives are continued depletion of the ground-water reservoir, or reductions in water use (with consequent possible dislocations in the economy), or more efficient and conservative of use of the available supply. Of these alternatives, logic points to the last one.
Click here to download the paper (3.8 MB PDF).
Thanks to Val Little and Leo Leonhart for bringing this book to our attention.
Posted by admin on February 8, 2012 under AZWPU Editorials |
We continue our analysis of the Water Resources Development Commission (WRDC) reports and take a closer look at the Little Colorado River Plateau (LCRP) in northern Arizona.
The WRDC certainly should be commended for attempting the monumental task of quantifying how much water Arizona has currently and how much it will need in the future. However, its estimates for the LCRP planning area fail to consider some key hydrogeologic and jurisdictional limitations.
The LCRP covers one-fourth of Arizona and, according to the WRDC statistics, it contains two-thirds of the groundwater stored in the state’s aquifers. In fact, the WRDC numbers indicate that about one-half of Arizona’s groundwater resides in aquifers that underlie the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. Given these numbers, it sounds like the LCRP has the potential to be a “water farm” for thirsty Arizona communities. If so, why then is the City of Flagstaff planning to pipe water 40 miles to maintain its supply? And why has the City of St. Johns moved its wellfield 12 miles to obtain decent quality water? Likewise, why is hauling water a way of life for tens of thousands on the Navajo Nation? In other words, why don’t the WRDC numbers match reality in the LCRP?
In a nutshell, it’s because the WRDC developed these estimates based on the same assumptions it used for southern Arizona basins. Unfortunately, political and hydrological conditions in northern Arizona differ radically from the rest of the state.
For one thing, natural groundwater quality is generally good in most of southern Arizona. Not so in the LCRP. Groundwater in the regional Coconino aquifer is brackish or saline in an area that encompasses about 8,000 square miles (about 30 percent of the planning area). In addition, because so few perennial streams still flow in southern Arizona basins, groundwater withdrawals are less likely to be limited by interactions with surface water. In contrast, the LCRP features many streams, and the ability to pump groundwater may be limited by surface water / groundwater connections in certain areas.
Political realities also limit groundwater availability in the LCRP planning area. According to the WRDC numbers, about 80 percent of the groundwater stored in the LCRP underlies the Navajo and Hopi Reservations or associated Trust land. This water is almost certainly unavailable for non-Indian uses. In addition, a substantial amount of LCRP groundwater is stored beneath National Forest land and, as such, remains generally unavailable for other uses.
Ultimately, planners and regulators will need to take water supply estimates one step further and account for these hydrologic and political realities in the LCRP. After all, groundwater is not truly available if its quality is severely impaired or if the right to use it is in question.
This month’s Editors’ Notes were written by M&A hydrologist Ed McGavock, who presented this information at last week’s Winter Watershed Conference in Show Low. The former Assistant District Chief of the USGS’ Water Resources Divisions in Arizona and Washington, Ed has worked on the Colorado Plateau throughout much of his nearly 50-year career.
Juliet M. McKenna, MS, PG | Taylor D. Shipman, MS | Michele Robertson, PG | Mark H. Myers, MBA
Posted by admin on January 27, 2012 under M&A News |
Each month, M&A’s team of water policy experts — Mark Myers, Juliet McKenna, and Taylor Shipman — writes a thought-provoking editorial for the Arizona Water Policy Update, our monthly newsletter. These editorials examine the potential effects of policy, legislation, and other changes on the cost and availability of Arizona water supplies. Recent topics have included the use of reclaimed and brackish water supplies to meet future demands, the relative costs of various large-scale water projects, and the importance of managing demand as supplies decrease.
Previously available only by subscription through our Arizona Water Policy Monitoring & Reporting Service, we are now posting these editorials on our news blog for the public to read and enjoy. We hope they spark some interesting discussions.
M&A welcomes questions about water policy topics; feel free to contact any one of us.
Juliet M. McKenna, MS, PG | Taylor D. Shipman, MS | Mark H. Myers, MBA
To see editorials for the past year, click here.
Posted by admin on January 6, 2012 under AZWPU Editorials |
This editorial is from the January issue of M&A’s Arizona Water Policy Update.
The future cost of water supplies may encourage Arizona communities to implement aggressive demand-side policies and rates.
In October 2011, the Water Resources Development Commission (WRDC) wrapped up an enormous statewide planning effort that resulted in six reports on water supply planning. The reports are dense with data, assumptions, projections, and conclusions about Arizona’s water future. Although legislative recommendations are still under development, the work thus far provides an interesting glimpse into the water supply challenges that lie ahead for Arizonans.
One of the most significant challenges is the cost of developing new supplies. To frame this challenge, the committee updated the cost estimates for four proposed projects that would provide water to communities outside the CAP service area. These projects are in Coconino County, the Verde River basin, Payson and the Mogollon Rim region, and the Sierra Vista area. The capital and annual O&M cost estimates for each project are shown on the chart below. The finance committee’s report concludes that getting water to these areas will be “extremely expensive.” In fact, the magnitude of these preliminary infrastructure cost estimates is staggering, especially when compared to the cost of building and operating the CAP pipeline and other proposed water supply augmentation projects, including the CAP canal expansion and the Yuma and Carlsbad desalination plants. It is almost certain that water developed for these areas will be much more expensive than what users are currently conditioned to paying for, in terms of both upfront capital and annual O&M costs.
It’s easy to see the negative side of expensive water projects. They compete with other pressing needs for tax dollars, they force difficult lifestyle and business enterprise decisions, and they may compound the impacts of the recession.
But their big price tag may have some demand-side silver linings. For example, they may encourage would-be buyers to build strong conservation incentives into rate structures and push communities to account for all groundwater withdrawals, including those from exempt wells. They may also promote creative alternative solutions to the water-supply-and-demand imbalance that is developing at current prices. Less-populated areas of the state may be motivated to implement demand-side policies that will shape these areas in ways that have been unachievable under previous water laws.
Juliet M. McKenna, MS, PG | Taylor D. Shipman, MS | Mark H. Myers, MBA
Posted by admin on December 8, 2011 under M&A News |
We are pleased to announce the addition of Carrolette Winstead, an environmental and permitting specialist, to our Phoenix office. A former manager of ADEQ’s Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) Unit, Carrolette is well known and highly respected in the regulatory community. She is a coauthor of the book In Situ Bioremediation of Perchlorate in Groundwater.
Carrolette previously worked for consulting firms in the Phoenix and Denver areas, where she managed remediation and environmental projects and provided APP support to mining and industrial clients. Her experience also includes providing technical oversight for design, construction, operation, and maintenance activities associated with remedial technologies for treating soil and groundwater. She earned her degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University.
Posted by admin on December 7, 2011 under M&A News |
La oficina de M&A de Santiago se complace en anunciar que su equipo de Collahuasi ha sido reconocido por lograr 2 millones de horas del trabajo sin accidentes o tiempo perdido. Los elogios particulares fueron a Cristian Gonzalez, que recibió una mención especial por su excelente apoyo de equipo en el área de la seguridad.
La Mina Collahuasi está ubicada dentro de las cuencas de Coposa y Michincha — una región muy árida y de gran altura de Chile a 4,500 metros sobre el nivel del mar. M&A ha influido en el desarrollo a gran escala del suministro de agua subterránea para las operaciones mineras desde los años noventa. Estamos implicados actualmente en las operaciones de desagüe tanto en la Mina Rosario como de Ujina.
M&A’s Santiago office is pleased to announce that its Collahuasi team has been
recognized for achieving 2 million hours of work without accidents or lost
time. Particular accolades went to Cristian Gonzalez, who received a special
mention for his excellent support of the team in the area of safety.
The Collahuasi Mine is located within the Coposa and Michincha basins – an
extremely arid, high-altitude region of Chile 4,500 meters above sea level. M&A
has been instrumental in developing large-scale, sustainable groundwater supplies for mining operations since the
1990s. We are currently involved in dewatering operations at both the Rosario
and Ujina pits.
Posted by admin on December 6, 2011 under AZWPU Editorials |
This editorial is from the December issue of M&A’s Arizona Water Policy Update.
Last month, we looked to California for an indication of Arizona’s next bucket of water, which may include brackish groundwater supplies that are plentiful but poor in quality. This month, we again turn to California, with a guest editorial by Michele Robertson, M&A’s environmental permitting specialist.
Could California’s aggressive measures to increase the use of reclaimed water influence Arizona’s future policies and regulations?
Some arid states are just beginning to jump on the bandwagon, but Arizona has a long history of using treated wastewater for beneficial purposes. The first documented use of treated wastewater occurred at Grand Canyon Village in 1926. The reuse of treated wastewater—or “reclaimed water”—was unregulated until 1972; these regulations were updated in 1985. The current rules, promulgated in 2001, represent a comprehensive approach to regulating the use of reclaimed water. They address permitting, water quality standards, allowable end uses, and technical standards for conveyance systems. Since 2001, reclaimed water use has grown throughout the state. Even so, the direct reuse of reclaimed water accounts for only a small portion—3 percent—of Arizona’s overall water use.
Two recent reports examined the role of reclaimed water in Arizona. Published by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Water Sustainability (November 2010) and the Water Resources Development Commission on (October 2011), these reports recognize that reclaimed water is an underutilized resource. They further conclude that it will play an important, ever-increasing role in Arizona’s future water supplies. The final GBRP report lists 18 recommendations and 63 subrecommendations to improve water management, education, and research capabilities. More than half of these recommendations are intended to remove impediments and thereby increase the use of reclaimed water. Of these recommendations, most focus on expanding or modifying the existing regulations or on researching the fate and human health effects of emerging contaminants that often occur in reclaimed water. ADEQ, ADWR, and the ACC have been tasked with implementing the GRBP recommendations; however, it is likely to take many years before significant results are achieved.
California has long been viewed as a bell-weather state regarding the promulgation of environmental regulations so it is interesting to see the state aggressively pursue policies and regulations related to the reuse of reclaimed water. How does California’s approach compare to Arizona’s current programs? Like Arizona, California is focusing on implementing a statewide water-recycling policy that establishes goals for increased reuse.
This year, the California legislature adopted statutes setting two deadlines: a 2013 deadline for regulations that would create uniform criteria for indirect potable reuse for groundwater recharge, and a 2016 deadline for a final report with recommendations on direct potable reuse. Meanwhile, Arizona has not revised its reclaimed water regulations in over 10 years and is unlikely to do so under the continuing moratorium on new rulemaking. Strained budgets have reduced available staff resources, challenging the agencies tasked with implementing the GRBP recommendations to remove impediments to reuse. Time will tell if California’s precedent in setting regulatory deadlines will influence Arizona’s future reclaimed water policies and regulations.
Juliet M. McKenna, MS, PG | Taylor D. Shipman, MS | Mark H. Myers, MBA
Posted by admin on November 29, 2011 under M&A News |
Mark Myers and Taylor Shipman, two key members of M&A’s Water Policy & Economics group, have been invited to serve as “faculty” for the upcoming Water Rights & Trading Summit in Scottsdale this February 2–3. The conference has been organized by WestWater Research and American Water Intelligence to educate attendees about water trading and development opportunities.
Taylor will help kick off the first session, which provides an overview of Arizona’s water demands and market activity. Mark will partner with attorney Bill Staudenmaier to discuss tribal water rights, settlements, and marketing.
M&A is sponsoring the event. To learn more, visit the conference website.
Posted by admin on under M&A News |
M&A’s Mark Myers, a specialist in water policy and economics, has been invited to participate in a workshop on water transfers in the Western states. The last of three meetings sponsored by the Western Governors’ Association and the Western States Water Council, this workshop will be held in Las Vegas on December 12 and 13.
The workshop — part of a larger, yearlong project — brings together about 50 people to identify water-transfer strategies that avoid or mitigate adverse impacts to agricultural economies, rural communities, and environmental systems. It will precede the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) meeting by several days and draw on Colorado Basin experts to share their perspectives. Juliet McKenna and Taylor Shipman will be attending the CRWUA meeting.
Mark Myers leads M&A’s Water Policy & Economics group, which also includes McKenna and Shipman. He has served on the Governor’s Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission and the Arizona Water Banking Authority Study Commission.
Posted by admin on under M&A News |
Four of M&A’s senior-level hydrogeologists — Jim Davis, Hale Barter, Mark Cross, and Heather Gluski — will be participating in the Northwest Mining Association’s 117th annual meeting. This year’s event, “Rocks to Riches,” features technical sessions, exhibits, and short courses that will be held from November 28–December 2 in Sparks, Nevada.
Jim is chairing the Groundwater Issues in Mining session. This session will address the groundwater quantity and quality issues encountered during all phases of mining projects, from prefeasibility through post closure. He will also present a talk about the technical, administrative, and legal challenges associated with water supply planning for the Rosemont Project. Jim, who has been with M&A since 1985, served as the Tucson Section Chair, the Pacific Southwest Region Chair, and Arizona Chapter Vice-Chair of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration.
Hale, who leads M&A’s Hydrologic Modeling group, will also present his work on the Rosemont project. He led the development of a model for the proposed mine’s EIS.
M&A is a sponsor and an exhibitor at this event. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by booth #305. To learn more about the convention, visit the NWMA website.
