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Second Cobre Valley Water Forum, April 9

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Registrations are underway for the Second Cobre Valley Forum on Water, to be held next month.

“I’m excited to have a culminating event that will bring together updates and discussion from a variety of groups that are passionate about water, focusing on how we work together to preserve sustainable water supplies into the future,” said Ashley Hullinger, research analyst with the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Water RAPIDS (Water Research and Planning Innovations for Dryland Systems) program.

“Even while it is our most important molecule, water is often not talked about enough,” she told the Silver Belt. “Through WRRC’s internal research and coordination with work carried out by local organizations, we’ve pursued action planning for the top water priorities decided in the first forum.”

The WRRC is looking forward to sharing results as well as hearing from state and local representatives “about successes and next steps around water, which translates to healthy communities, environment and economies.”

The forum will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at the Gila County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Rd, in Globe.

Those who wish to participate may register online at www.eventbrite.com/e/second-cobre-valley-forum-on-water-tickets-55414687823

Hullinger invites one and all to participate in the forum to engage with local decision makers, learn about recent progress and project results and ask questions and share ideas about water in the Globe-Miami area.

On Sept. 6, 2018, “leaders from government, industry and not-for-profit organizations shared their water experiences and lessons at the First Cobre Valley Forum on Water,” she said.

“We learned about local and regional opportunities to create a more resilient water future for healthy communities, businesses and the environment,” Hullinger said.

“Since then, the WRCC and community partners have been working to make progress on some of the top priorities related to water and community well-being.”

Hullinger said the presentation topics for April’s forum will include:

Water supply and demand

By better understanding water supplies and demands, take steps to define threats and alternative feasible solutions.

Trails and environmental stewardship

In partnership with Recharge our Community Economy (RCAC) and the Pinal Creek Trail Group, work has been done toward developing a demonstration site and a regional trail concept.

Water education and awareness

Arizona Project WET and Gila Community College will discuss how to support and harness local water education efforts for a bigger impact.

Connectivity Planning

U of A College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture will share the results of its semester-long project developing connectivity options and site plans for Cobre Valley and the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART program, the Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership (CVWP) will be created over the next two years to implement needed watershed projects in the area.

In 2018, the Bureau of Reclamation funded WRRC to assess water supply and demand in Cobre Valley, and to incorporate the findings, along with stakeholder priorities, into a “Water Resources Objectives Report.”

In October, the WRRC released its summary, acknowledging the dedication and participation of the more than 50 people who attended the Sept. 6 forum, she said.

“The quality and depth of ideas about regional water resources laid excellent groundwork for next steps,” Hullinger said. “From the informative presentations in the morning to the break-out discussions in the afternoon, participants offered a variety of challenges, opportunities and actions to consider.”

The proposed actions were defined and assigned priorities, based on focus group discussions and voting by participants, she said at the time.

Coordinating with the Bureau of Reclamation, the CVWP and other community partners, the WRRC is pursuing research and action planning around the list of priorities created at the Sept. 6 forum, she said.

Other ideas generated during the forum’s small group discussions are also being considered for incorporation into the Water Resources Objectives Report, Hullinger said.

The WRCC’s summary states that the Globe-Miami area faces complex water supply and infrastructure challenges that impact community well-being and future prospects, she said.

CVWP membership is open to any interested individual or organization.

For more information, or to become involved in a CVWP working group, contact Hullinger at 520-621-8252 or via e-mail at hullinger@e-mail.arizona.edu.

For more information, go to wrrc.arizona.edu/Cobre-Valley.

This is the fifth story in a series on the Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership. Look for future stories in upcoming editions of the Silver Belt.