Volume 9, Number 2

Arizona Has UntappedGeothermal PotentialThe U.S. Department of Energy recently an-nounced a new initiative "GeoPowering theWest," an effort to promote the developmentand use of geothermal power in the westernstates. According to DOE, all of Arizona'sneighboring states have good geothermal re-sources, with California, Nevada and Utahlisted as the top three states with electricalgeneration potential and New Mexico con-sidered a high potential state. Arizona doesnot make the rankings.

Arizona's no-show raises question aboutthe state's geothermal potential. What poten-tial does the state have, and what purposescould its geothermal reserves serve?

In Arizona, water as a source of energymostly means hydroelectric power. Glen Can-yon and Hoover dams come to mind, wheresurging water turns turbines to generate elec-tricity. Geothermal power puts groundwaterto work. Extreme heat deep within the earthrises near the surface and heats groundwaterthat then becomes naturally occurring hotwater and steam, and a source of geothermalenergy.

Continued on pageS

Water Resources Research Center

ARIZO NAWATER RESOURCE

September-October 2000

Pima County is about to beginpublic meetings on its new Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

Twoyears in the making theplanproposes to save more than 250,000 acresfor mountainparks, preserving streams and washes andprotecting ranch land along the county c urban edges.Theplan callsfor changes in ordinances andprocedures, including expanded impactfees, anenvironmental resource ordinance, water conservation and a one-stop perm itting processfor

requiredpermits at all levels ofgovernment. Water management obviously is an integralpart oftheplan. (See "SpecialProjects, " page 9for a descrzvtion ofwaterprojects undertaken aspart oftheplan.) Art work bji Pima County Graphic Design Section.

Endocrine Disrupters in WaterWhat Are EDs? What Risks Do They Pose?

Endocrine disrupters (EDs), a relatively new term in the water quality glossary, isthe focus ofmuch recent discussion and debate. What are EDs, and what are theirwater quality implications?

ED is a self-defining term; i.e. EDs are compounds that disrupt the endocrinesystem. The endocrine system consists ofvarious glands that regulate the functioningof all organ systems. Since the endocrine system is involved in such critical functionsas basic metabolism and reproduction, even slight interferences with endocrine func-tions, especially during certain phases ofthe life cycle, can cause profoundly damag-ing effects.

Continued on page 2

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The Uninversity of Arizona.

CONTENTSWater Vapors 3

News Briefs 4

AZ WaterCommunity News 5

GuestView 6

Legislation and Law 7

Publications 8

Special Projects 9

Announcements 10

Calendar ofEvents 11

2 Arizona Water Resource

Endocrine...wntiiniedfrom page 1

EDs represent a broad array of compounds of varied originsand could include natural hormones; various pharmaceuticals in-cluding birth control pills; and estrogen replacement products andother steroids. Many ofthese compounds are taken by humans, ex-creted and released with wastewater or effluent. Pesticides and vari-ous industrial chemicals like dioxin and PCBs also are sources ofEDs that often end up in water bodies. While not hormones them-selves, they are hormonal active agents.

Concentrations ofEDs are likely to be extremely small, occur-ring at times in nanograrns per liter. On a temporal scale this isequivalent to about one second in 31 years. Yet, one nanogram perliter of a typical pharmaceutical is equivalent to about two trillionmolecules per liter. This represents a rather large quantity to bindwith receptors in the human or animal body.

Resistant to chemical and biological degradation, endocrinedisrupting chemicals appear to persist in the environment and tobioaccumulate. EDs are distributed worldwide, and virtually all liv-ing organisms are directly or indirectly exposed to them, throughingesting contaminated foods or waters, breathing contaminatedair, or merely through contact with contaminated soils, sedimentsor water.

Much of the concern about the potential hazards of EDs canbe traced to the development in 1938 of a man-made estrogen,called diethyistilbestrol or DES. Hailed at the time as a miracledrug, DES essentially mimics the action of sex hormones in thebody. Its many uses at the time included treating women to pre-vent miscarriages. Later it was found that some daughters ofwomen having taken DES during pregnancy developed a rare tu-mor of the vagina.

Scientists have since observed certain populations of wildlifewith symptoms of exposure to environmental contaminants that af-fect the endocrine system; e.g. feminized fish that were exposed tomunicipal and industrial effluent and alligators with delayed or ab-normal sexual differentiation from central Florida lakes contami-nated with organochiorine pesticides. Questions also have beenraised about whether EDs are the cause of the documented generaldecrease in human semen quality and increased breast cancer inwoman.

"Our Stolen Future," a book published in 1996, attracted pub-lic attention to the issue. In the tradition of "The Silent Spring,""Our Stolen Future," written by Theo Colborn, DianneDurnanoski and John Peterson Myers, warned of an impending cri-sis, reporting that synthetic chemicals are now pervasive in the en-vironment. By mimicking natural hormones these chemical disruptthe normal reproductive and development process and pose a seri-ous threat to future generations of people and wildlife.

A general consensus among most scientists, however, is that thedata is insufficient to determine the ecological or human healthrisks posed by EDs. Yet sufficient evidence exists to raise concernsand warrant further study, and government action is underway.Within the EPA Office of Research and Development StrategicPlan, ED research is identified as one of the six high-priority top-ics. The agency has developed a comprehensive ED research plan.

Further, in response to mandates of the 1996 Food Quality

September-October 2000

and Protection Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA is devel-oping an ED screening program, with notice of the final programexpected in Dec. 2001. This final policy statement will describe thescreens and tests to be required as part of the program, as well asthe chemicals to be included and the priority-setting procedure fordetermining the order of testing.

In response to requests from various federal entities, the Na-tional Research Council studied the ED issue and published a re-port last year. In its report the NRC committee avoided the termendocrine disrupters because it "is fraught with emotional over-tones and [is] tantamount to a prejudgement of potential out-comes." They substituted the term "hormonally active agent" orHAA as a more neutral term, "defined as an agent that has demon-strated hormone-like activity in a test system."

Book Findc Reijsons for Concrrnthe endainedisnq.thm questiçm ssufacedw

recent1). the scientificawon the exUnt ofthe threat isstiftfrcomplete Neverthd ifone looks bivadly aa thde

array oftthtingstudiesfrôm various kanbts ofscience andmedicirn the weight ofthe evidence indiezues that humans are

in jeopardy and are ptrbps already affeaed in major waysTaken tqethei the pwz ofibIs ni¿tkpatchwork quilt bavetkcpite aim ittdgaps, a cumuJativqìo'er thai ¿s mpdlingand ulgenL (from Our Stolen Futtir, &COL&OT

nanoski andMrx)

After reviewing existing scientific knowledge, the NRC Com-mittee on HAAs in the Environment decided that more informa-tion is needed before HAAs potential to harm developing organ-isms can be understood. The report views as inconclusive currentevidence showing that harmful ecological and health effects can re-suit from exposure to certain chemicals, stating that such evidencedoes not clearly demonstrate whether hormonal properties causedthe observed effects or whether some other toxicological agent wasthe cause.

The NRC report recommended various research areas to studyexposure to HAAs. These include long-term monitoring of knownHAAs; study of human and other biota intake of phytoestrogensand synthetic HAAs; and identification of primary exposuresources. The report also recommended study of primary routes ofexposure, e.g., diet and drinking water, to determine typicalbaseline intake levels.

Others argue that sufficient ecological evidence exists to dem-onstrate the hazards of EDs and to justify action. They say thatprotecting public health in the real world involves more than acommitment to the scientific ideals of strict cause-and effect proofthat may be more appropriate to controlled laboratory experi-ments. They call for examining information from a variety ofsources including wildlife data, laboratory studies and research onthe mechanism of hormone action or toxicity. They say weighingsuch evidence would demonstrate the need for more immediate ac-tion.

Tucson Drinks CAP Water,Part 2In praising Tucson Water's new approachto introducing CAP water to its customers,recent news stories described, sometimes inlively and colorful prose not usually associ-ated with journalism, the previous ill-starred effort to deliver CAP water to thecommunity. Whatever that unfortunate oc-currence represented hydrologically, it isnow providing journalists the opportunityto practice some creative writing.

A recent Associated Press article wasrather restrained. 'When first delivered,CAP was said to be "brown, yucky water."In a September 22 Tucson Citizen editoria!titled, "CAP Delivery: Tucson Water NowHas It Right," today's CAP water is said tobe better because "there wi!l not be a traceof the brown smelly gunk that spewed fromsome city taps in 1994." Later in the edito-rial the "foul water" is said to have loos-ened rust and "sent it spewing from resi-dents' taps."

Next day the Tucson Citizen carried an-other CAP story saying the "yechy taste ofCAP water" is a thing of the past, and the"brown, bad-tasting water" will be a distantmemory. The same article said citizens useto high-quality groundwater were under-standably upset when they began receiving,"smelly, strange-tasting, tinted river water."

Lest the above leave a foul taste in themouth, a description of the new and im-proved CAP water might be mentioned. Atthe end ofa recent demonstration projectthat delivered blended CAP to a numberofhouseho!ds, participants were queriedabout the taste ofthe water. One residentdescribed the blend as having "a softer tasteand no aftertaste."

Water and SexAs topics of interest water and sex havebeen around for a long time. Water andsex are like birth and death, all primal con-cerns that challenge the human capacity forunderstanding and wonder, and many andvaried have been the thoughts devoted toeach. What then can be said about water or

Water Vapors

Here was a cake worthy ofthe occasion. Nocandle-bedeckeddelicaçy, this manhole-topped cake

was in honor ofPima County Wastewater Man-agement Departmentc 1Oyear anniversaiy onSeptember 20. One hundredyears ago plansforthefirst Tucson sanita,y sewer ystem werefinal-

ized. The majority ofthegravity line sewersfromthatfirst sewerproject, which served downtown

Tucson, are still in service today.

sex that has not been said before? Combinesex and water, however, and some interest-ing results can be achieved. All that isneeded is creativity as two recent examplesdemonstrate.

In his talk at the Water Resources Re-search Center's spring conference, The 2O'Anniversaiy ofthe Groundwater ManagementAct," University ofArizona law professorRobert Glennon noted, "The conference or-ganizers are delighted by the large turnout,but I am not really surprised. It's a popularsubject, because, ifyou think about it, wa-ter in the American West and sex share twothings in common. First, both are topicsmany people like to talk about. And, sec-

ond, people are very concerned that some-one else is getting more than their fairshare."

Another example ofthe twining of wa-ter and sex appeared in thejuly issue ofHarper'sMagazine. In that issue JacquesLeslie wrote an article, "Running Dry,"about the pending world water crisis. Incritiquing water use, he observes Las Vegaswhere he notices that water and sex havesomething in common, at least in the NeonCity. He writes, "Las Vegas is America's cityof fantasy, and water, not wealth, is itsgreatest fantasy ofall, displayed more las-civious!y than sex."

Water CASA Gets WaterConservation GrantThe Water Conservation Alliance of South-em Arizona (Water CASA), a Water Re-sources Research Center program, has beenawarded one of 16 Urban and CommunityForestry Grants from the Arizona StateLands Department. The $4,530 grant willenable Water CASA to develop and conductthe Graywater-Water Harvesting Workshopseries, demonstrating the use ofwater har-vesting and graywater reuse techniques toirrigate residential landscapes. The serieswill be held in the Tucson area, in the ser-vice areas ofWater CASA member watercompanies. Participating in the series willbe: Avra Water Co-op, Community WaterCo. of Green Valley, Flowing Wells Irriga-tion District, Town of Marana Water De-partment, Metro Water District, and theTown of Oro Valley Water Department.

Arizona Water Resource is published 6 times per year by the Univer-sity ofArizona's Water Resources Research Center. AWR accepts news,announcements and other information from all organizations

Arizona Water Resource StaffEditor: Joe GeltEditorial Assistant: Joel SpezeskiReporters: Val Little

Barbara Tellman

www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater

Arizona Water ResourceWater Resources Research CenterCollege ofAgriculture and Life SciencesThe University of Arizona350 North Campbell AvenueTucson, Arizona 85719

520-792-9592; FAX 520-792-8518

WRRC Director: Dr. Peter Wierenga email: wrrcVag.arizona.edu

September-October 2000 Arizona Water Resource 3

Crayfish Threat to AZWaterways

They are variously called crawdads, spinylobsters or crayfish, but Arizona Game andFish officials consider them a voraciousmenace that is wreaking havoc on aquaticecosystems throughout the state.

Researchers have observed clear, bio-logically diverse streams transformed intomuddy streams with thousands of crayfish.Crayfish first devour the vegetation thatstabilizes stream banks and bottoms, beforeeating the pond snails, the mayfly larvae,caddisfly larvae and other insects. Theirmenu then expands to include tadpoles,fish, turtles and even garter snakes. Trout

:4u1::: News B rieftcan eat small crayfish. Larger crayfish, how-ever, go unchecked and eat the fishes' foodsupplies.

Arizona Game and Fish is in the pro-cess ofadopting a law to make it illegal totransport crayfish live. Nevada and Utah al-ready have a similar law, and California andMontana may soon follow suit.

Arizona is the only mainland state withno native species of crayfish. Their intro-duction to the state was partly due to goy-ernment agencies releasing the critters intostate waters to control weeds and feed bassand other game fish. Fishermen using cray-fish for bait also did their part to intro-duce the exotic specie.

Meanwhile the Arizona agency hopesto reduce the state crayfish population by

Grant CelebratesHeritage ofColorado River

T hanks to a $295,483grant from the NationalEndowment for the Hu-manities, the Arizona Hu-manities Council will be ad-ministering a project to ex-amine the history andmeaning of the ColoradoRiver. Titled "ColoradoRiver: Moving Waters inthe Arid West," the projectis a collaborative effort in-volving all the ColoradoRiver Basin states - Ari-zona, California, Colorado,Nevada, New Mexico, Utah,and Wyoming. The projectwill focus on three mainthemes: the geographical,historical, environmentaland technological forcesthat shape the realities ofwestern water; the legal history that determines the rights to the river water; and theliterary and creative arts the rivers has inspired.

Project funds will support a three-part radio documentary, a traveling exhibit, lec-tures and book discussions, community-initiated exhibits and a website. Arizona pro-gram sites will include Page, Parker, Yuma and Phoenix.

touting their culinary potential. Plentiful,easy to harvest and with no limits, andsimple to prepare - just like crabs andother shellfish - crayfish, which can growup to six inches in Arizona, may be an up-and-coming culinary delight, at least Gameand Fish hopes so. The agency includedsome crayfish recipes in a recent newsletter.

Task Force ConfrontsWaterborne Disease Threat

seven valley cities and four county andstate health agencies have formed a taskforce to help cope with situations that mayarise if an outbreak of a waterborne diseaseoccurs in the Phoenix metropolitan area.Their collaborative efforts are intended toensure a quick response time and openchannels ofcommunications about beststrategies to follow in dealing with the out-break. A prime goal is to provide quick, ac-curate information to the public.

Participating cities include Chandler,Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdaleand Tempe. Also involved are the MaricopaCounty Public Health Department, theMaricopa County Environmental ServicesDepartment, the Arizona Department ofHealth Services and the Arizona Depart-ment ofEnvironmental Quality.

"We developed this communicationsplan because ifone water system is affectedit is more than likely other systems withinthe valley are also going to be affected be-cause we have similar source waters. We alsosupply water to each other," says MichelleDeHaan, task force co-chair. Bob Hollanderis the other task force co-chair.

The plan covers varied situations, des-ignating escalated responses dependingupon the severity of the situation. Possiblyonly increased investigation will be needed,although in a more serious situation a"boil water advisory" might be issued. Theplan also provides steps for de-escalation, asconditions return to normal.

DeHaan believes the Phoenix area isrelatively safe. "Our source waters are ex-tremely pristine compared to other parts ofthe country. We do not have wastewatertreatment plants discharging into our nv-

4 Arizona Water Resource September-October 2000

ers." For additional information about thetask force contact DeHaan at 480-321-5685.

GAO Criticizes States' WaterQuality Spending

The Genera! Accounting Office (GAO) re-cently released a report suggesting that statewater programs do not spend enough toensure safe drinking water - and it's notdue to a lack of federal funding. In fact, thereport said sufficient federal funding hasbeen available, but states have often not al-ways accessed these funds nor used them tobest effect.

Rather than a !ack offederal funding,the GAO reports that state-imposed spend-ing constraints were to blame. The reportsaid states often set staffing and fundinglevels too low, with structural and equip-ment improvements getting priority fund-ing. The report also faulted state hiringpractices. It claimed states often offered in-adequate salaries to attract and retain quali-fled staff. In other cases, hiring freezes pre-vented the states from filling positions.GAO interviews with state officials suggestthat current staffing and funding levels willbe inadequate to meet new regulatory re-quirements in the future.

The report was the result of a congres-sional request that GAO examine fundingfor drinking water programs in light of the1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Wa-ter Act. These amendments require states to

implement new standards for certain con-taminants. The full report is available at:http://www.gao.gov/new.items/rc00298t.pdf

FDA Issues Final Report onBottled Water Labeling

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrationrecently issued a final report on bottled wa-ter labeling. The report was in response tothe federal Safe Drinking Water Act amend-ments of 1996. The amendments requiredpublic water suppliers to issue ConsumerConfidence Reports (CCR) to their cus-tomers and also directed the FDA to pub-lish a final study of the appropriate meth-ods ofinforming customers ofthe contentsof bottled water.

The FDA concluded that informationprovided in the CCRs, with certain excep-tions for items solely applicable to publicwater supplies, is the type of informationthat also should be provided to bottled Wa-ter consumers. The FDA also noted, how-ever, that some information not includedin CCRs would be appropriate for bottledwater; e.g., the type of treatment the bottledwater received.

The FDA considers the best way to in-form bottled water users is with label infor-mation that includes a company contact ad-dress or telephone number. The reportfinds it is not feasible to include all CCR-type information on a label, in a pamphletat retail, or on the Internet.

WaterCommunit

EWA Center on the Impacts ofUrban Devel-opment on Southern Arizona's DesertEnvironment has been created at the Uni-versity ofArizona. Located within the UACollege ofAgriculture's School of Renew-able Natural Resources, the new center is acollaborative venture with the non-profitRincon Institute. Focusing its research onthe ecosystem ofthe Rincon Valley, the cen-ter will provide information on the contro-versial issue ofgrowth and conservation.The center formalizes a relationship be-tween the UA and the Rincon Institute thathas been ongoing for about a decade. Formore information contact C.P. PatrickReid, director of the School of RenewableNatural Resources, 520-62 1-725 7.

The Water Infrastructure Finance Author-ity ofArizona has awarded technical assis-tance grants to 39 Arizona communitieswith limited resources and significant waterquality needs. Derived from federal andstate sources, the $568,415 in grant monieswill be used to develop infrastructure con-struction projects for eligible wastewaterand drinking water systems.

Geothermal...contznuedfrompage i

The uses ofgeothermal energy aredetermined by temperature, with the hot-test reserves (greater than 150CC or302F) generally used for electric powergeneration. The process involves boringdeep into the earth's crust, to tap intothe hot, briny reservoirs ofwater. Thewater is pumped to the surface and con-verted to steam that spins turbine en-gifles to geflerate electricity. Geothermalenergy for electrical production is themain goal of the DOE initiative. Ari-zona, however, lacks the thermal capacityto generate electricity, although the statehas other geothermal potential.

Water temperatures lower than what White areas shown on the map have potentialforis needed to generate electricity also have geothermal resources.

geothermal uses. Low temperature (lessthan 90CC or 194F) and moderate tern-perature (90CC 150C or 194F -302SF) geothermal water can be used fordirect use and ground-source heatpumps. Direct use means using the waterdirectly, without heat pump or powerplant, for such applications as heating ofbuildings and use in industrial processes,greenhouses, aquaculture and resorts. Di-rect use projects generally involve re-source temperatures between 38CC(100SF) to 149'C (300SF).

Arizona geothermal potential hasbeen evaluated to some extent. During1977-82, the Geothermal Assessment teamwithin the Arizona Bureau of Geology

Continued onpage i2

September-October 2000 Arizona Water Resource 5

6 Arizona Water Resource September-October 2000

Guest View

Recharge - 'Where's the Wet Water?Steve Weatherspoon, a partner in the Tucson lawfirm of Chandler, Tullar,Udall Redhair, LLP., contributed this Guest View. He is a member ofthe Board ofDirectors ofthe CentralArizona Water Conservation Districtand the Governor's WaterManagement Commission.

Arizona has embarked on the pursuit of recharge in a way neverbefore seen. We are simply enamored with the concept. We havecreated legal mechanisms that promote continued groundwatermining at the expense of direct use of CAP water. Indeed, we havemade recharge a cornerstone of our long-term water managementpolicy.

Beginning in the mid-l980s, Arizona enacted a series of under-ground water storage statutes. This culminated in 1996 with thecreation of the Arizona Water Bank.

We enacted laws that permit water to be recharged in one areaand withdrawn, rather mined, in a totally distinct hydrologic areain the same active management area. The point of recharge can befifty miles down gradient from the point of withdrawal but the lawpays no heed. Moreover, existing users near recharge sites maydrain or otherwise benefit from the stored supply.

The above scenario is direct recharge. The idea is thatgroundwater mining at the point of withdrawal will be replenishedby the recharged water. Sounds reasonable - but what happens tothe folks fifty miles up gradient when the well goes dry.

Direct recharge is not our only type of recharge. Notably, itaccounts for a relatively smallamount of the recharge to date. No,the real king of recharge is indirector in lieu recharge, now calledgroundwater savings. Names aside,it works the same.

Groundwater savings facilitiesare farms. The idea is that if an irrigator takes CAP water insteadof pumping groundwater, then the unpumped groundwater issaved, presumably for future municipal use. Groundwater savingsis most cost effective. It is a win-win situation.

For example, the Water Bank or a municipal provider can buyCAP water for $45/acre foot and sell it to an irrigator for $22.Not only has the irrigator gotten water at a favorable rate, thebank or municipal provider, for $23 an acre foot, gets long termstorage credits that enable them to pump almost the same amountof groundwater as was saved. Again, this pumping (mining) ofgroundwater can be from anywhere within the same AMA as thefarm, distance notwithstanding.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, as time passes there will be sig-nificantly less CAP water available and the prices will not be com-petitive with groundwater pumping costs. Start up the pumps.

Logic and economics dictate that when CAP water is nolonger available, the irrigators, unless their lands are earlier con-

The idea is that groundwater mining at the point ofwithdrawal will be replenished by the recharged water.Sounds reasonable - but what happens to thefolks fifty

miles up gradient when the well goes dry.

sumed by development, will pump the aquifers to the depth pastwhich farming is uneconomic. This is the same depth the irriga-tion uses would have depleted those basins in any event. Hey -where's our saved groundwater?

Not only is it going to be tough to find, let alone use, any ofthat saved groundwater; on top of that (or bottom), we have cre-ated legal rights to pump groundwater in amounts near those thatwere supposed to be saved. The thought of double-dipping per-haps comes to mind.

So how much ofthis recharge have we done? Through 1998,DWR records reflect that a total of 1,857,170 acre-feet in long termstorage credits have been issued. Of that amount, eighty percentrepresent credits accrued through groundwater savings. The re-maining represents direct recharge. Most of the recharged waterhas been CAP but almost 70,000 acre-feet has been effluent.

Our courtship with recharge has been fueled, in large part, bythe legitimate and important goal of taking all of Arizona's remain-ing entitlement off of the Colorado River through the CAP. Letit not be said we have the facility but no use for the water. We canuse and conserve the water - but that does not mean we have to callthings recharge that are not recharge.

We should view the prospect to divert large amounts of Colo-rado River water over the next fifteen to twenty years as a real chal-lenge and a golden opportunity. It is perhaps a chance to deter-mine if large groundwater basins adjacent or near the CAP can beused as reservoirs. The idea is that this stored water could be putback in the CAP to meet delivery needs in times of shortage. Wedon't need a reservoir that can handle annual fluctuations of in-

flow. Rather, we need ones that canaccommodate long-term fluctuationsin the available supply from theColorado that will surely occur.

Maybe such spots don't exist.The point is, we need to find outnow, if not yesterday. We should

embark on an aggressive course of surveys to soon determinewhether such a concept is hydrologically sound. If so, we shouldSet aggressive goals to store five to ten million acre-feet at such sitesin the next twenty years. It's not a cheap way to recharge water.But at least that water can be recovered and put back in the ditchand taken to people who need wet water. Water is never cheapwhen there is not enough to go around.

The figures five to ten million acre-feet are not mine. That'sthe general range of estimates I have heard as to what we will needto make up shortages in firm CAP municipal and industrialdeliveries over the fifty year term of the Project. I believe we mustsoon adopt policies to assure that this projected shortfall is madeup of with newly-imported wet water. Consistent with our currentand sound groundwater management policies, this water shouldnot come from mining groundwater in the overdrafted basins ofcentral and southern Arizona in the name of illusive rechargecredits.

Legislation and LawTT TT

Complex GMA Review Underway Amidst Hopes and ConcernsThe big news in Arizona water affairs is the current review of theGroundwater Management Act. Passed in 1980, the law has been ineffect for 20 years, with another 25 years to go to achieve its safeyield goal. Almost at midpoint, the law, duly tried, tested and, insome instances, found wanting, was due for a review.

Many in the state were ready for the challenge, and a multi-tiered committee structure was put in place to review the GMA andidentify areas ofconcern and recommend changes to the law. In-volved in the evaluation and review are Active Management AreaTask Forces, a Technical Advisory Committee and a Governor'sWater Advisory Commission, each with a designated role and rep-resenting a variety of interests.

In describing the GMA process as "ground up," GovernorJane Hull acknowledged the key role played by the Active Manage-ment Area Task Forces. It is at the AMA level that the day-to-dayworkings of the act are most closely observed and where the formalevaluation began. About a year ago, each AMA established a taskforce to review the workings ofthe GMA and identify problemsand adopt recommendations.

With task forces operating at ground level, other workinggroups were established at other points in the chain of command,to ensure varied input and broad recognition of concerns; thusthe multi-AMA Governor's Water Management Commission(GWMC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). GovernorJane Hull appointed members to the GWMC, charging the corn-mittee with evaluating water management regulations and activitieswithin the AMAs. Further, it is to make recommendations regard-ing changes to laws, rules or policies to facilitate achievement of along-term, reliable water supply. The schedule calls for recommen-dations to be submitted to the Legislature in 2002.

Arizona Department ofWater Resources Director Rita PearsonMaguire appointed members to TAC. TAC serves as a resource tothe GWMC, evaluating the task forces' recommendations and pro-viding recommendations and technical support to the GWMC.

Shortly after the GWMC was appointed a complaint arose thatNative Americans were left out ofthe process. In response to the

Different Views of Same CommissionFollowing are two comments from newspapers reporting onGovernor Hull's Water Management Commission.

The commission, we believe, has aflaw. It's not r,hole. It is top heazyin the state's major water users - agriculture, munic4'alities, mines and

developers. Arizona Republic editorial, July 6.

Hulls commission ... indudesfarmers, environmentalist., business and

government representatives and averagefolks who simply want to makesure they can turn on theirfaucet andget a glass ofwater. TucsonCitizen editorial, July 5

concern, Hull created the Native American Groundwater AdvisoryCommittee to ensure that Arizona tribes are involved in the reviewprocess. The council will meet regularly with the three GWMC co-chairmen. Hull said she had not previously included tribal mem-bers since Indian lands are not subject to the GMA or state statute.

As work got underway another committee formed, also involv-ing the three GWMC co-chairmen, with the chairperson and/or co-chairpersons ofeach ofthe AMA Task forces. Called the ExecutiveCommittee ofTAC, this committee was formed to function as asmall working group.

With work just beginning it is premature to evaluate the re-view process and its likelihood of achieving significant changes to

The TechnicalAdvisory Committee met Sept. 15 in Casa Grande. (Photo:

Val Little)

the GMA. A few early concerns, however, have surfaced. For ex-ample, some observers have complained ofthe makeup of theGWMC, claiming it is not representative ofthe full range of statewater interests. (See sidebar)

Others, although initially skeptical about the rather elaborateorganizational structure set up to review the GMA, have adopted await-and-see attitude before commenting on the workings ofthe ar-rangement. Are responsibilities and duties clearly understood, toenable the commission, committee and task forces to worksmoothly together? Will the organizational structure function toensure that local, task force concerns get due consideration at thecommission level? These and other such questions will be answeredas work progresses on the GMA review.

Meanwhile the review process is touted as a concerted effort,with varied input from different levels and interests, all getting dueattention as participants work toward the common goal of improv-ing the GMA. ADWR has established a website (http://www.water.az.gov/gwmc/) with extensive information about the re-view process, including the names ofGWMC and TAC members,schedule and agendas ofmeetings, task force recommendations, andgeneral background information about water management in thestate. The website also provides a link to post queries and com-ments regarding the GWMC and the TAC.

September-October 2000 Arizona Water Resource 7

8 Arizona Water Resource September-October 2000

cIJø Publications

Water in the Westedited by Char Miller

This volume includes a collection of articles from Hih CountryNews on the struggle over the West's most precious and scarce re-source, with chapters on the Northwest salmon crisis, Glen CanyonDam, federal and urban water projects, Native American waterrights, watershed restoration, and water management. The book is$29.95 shipping and handling included, available from HighCountry News, P.O. Box 1090, Paonia, CO, 81428; phone:1-800-905-1155.

Websites Offer Drought Info, Past and PresentWith drought occurring in various parts of the country, peoplemight be interested in the following two drought websites. Avail-able from the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, awebsite on drought history entitled "North American Drought: APaleo Perspective," (www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/) explainshow data from sources such as tree rings, lake sediments and ar-cheological remains can provide insight about past droughts. Datafrom the natural archive are used to interpret 20th century NorthAmerican droughts in the context of hundreds to thousands ofyears in the field of paleoclimatology. Paleoclimatology includesthe collection of evidence of past climate conditions, and the inves-tigation of the climate process underlying these conditions.

The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln maintains a home page for the Drought Moni-tor, which is a color map with accompanying text showing whichparts of the United States are experiencing various degrees ofdroughts. (enso.unl.edu/monitor/monitor.html) The text describesthe drought's current impacts, future threats and prospects for im-provement. The Drought Monitor is a synthesis of several differentscientific drought indices, outlooks, and news accounts that repre-sent a consensus of federal and academic scientists.

Protecting Drinking Water: A Workbook for TribesWater Education FoundationDeveloped with EPA funding this publication includes back-ground information on the importance of protecting source waterfrom pollution and includes a step-by-step work plan for tribes in-terested in developing a protection plan for their drinking water.The workbook is designed to serve as a template for such pro-grams, with forms and tables for photocopying. It also offers a sim-plified approach for assessment and protection that focuses onidentifying and managing immediate contamination threats. Thebook is available in WordPerfect format on the Foundation'swebsite (www.water-ed.org) on the "What's New" page, throughthe fall. Hard copies are available for $25 from Water EducationFoundation, 717 K St., Suite, 317, Sacramento, CA 95814; phone:916-444-6240; fax: 916-448-7699.

Publications Show Student Interest in Water Issues Starts Early

Water learning begins early, as two projects undertaken lastyear by Arizona public school students demonstrate. With the beginning ofa new school

year, a description ofthese two project is timely, not only to show what students can accomplish, but to give credit where credit is due.

StudentsWrite History of "River Path"The Davis Bilingual Magnet School, the Roskurge Bilingual

Middle School and the Barrio Anita neighborhood teamed upto write a chili e&MA Path to the River, about an historicirrigationt.h that &ic ried Santa Cruz River water intothe Barrio Anj neighborhoo Çity of Tucson's MultipleBenefit Water Prect provided the intve for the project.

The "1ntroductìì" describes the proje' We are kids fromDavis Bilngua1 Mret School and Roskurge Bival MiddleSchool Ors range frçu.fa ta l3We started thepject by

between Barrio iitaand th "' Riere vitel people who livec in theneighborhood. We askèd'ruuns ai ey told us stoïes.

re eFl an irtigtion dFi ' to runhethrough the neig'Ìii1 f

theme for the first art project because itlink between the neighborhood and the river."

Production of the book was made possible by a youth grantfrom PRO Neighborhoods. Cost of the book is $10. ContactFreda Johnson for copies. Phone: 520-622-1933.

Eighth-grade Students Research Water MarketingEighth-grade students at Sierra Vista Middle School wereawarded $10,000 for a research paper they wrote examining thequestion, "Should water rights be bought and sold like otherproducts are both and sold?" In their work they presented bothsides of the issues, offering both pros and cons. They submittedtheir research results to a contest sponsored by the Arizona Ad-visory Council for Environmental Education.

The water marketing research was organized into the follow-ing categories: surface water information; groundwater informa-tion; Indian water rights and adjudication; water rights shouldbe bought and sold, reasons; water rights should not be boughtand sold, reasons; and team's evaluation.

The first-place award money supported a student field tripin the spring that included visits to various points of water in-terest, including Hoover Dam, tours of the CAP headquartersand the Salt River Project and a boat ride on Tempe Town Lake.For more information about the project contact MartySheppard, the instructor who worked with the students on theproject, at 520-515-2930.

p %t Special Projects

Water, a Critical Element in Sonoran Desert Conservation PlanPima County has embarked on an ambitious and far-reachingplan to dea! with loca! endangered species issues that have polarizedthe community. Because of the presence of the rare cactus ferrugi-nous pygmy owl, developers and even a local school district havehad their building projects challenged by federal regulations. Add-ing to their frustrations they found the federal rules they were tofollow unclear. Further, they questioned the value of scientific sur-veys they were required to conduct. Several lawsuits ensued.

The Pima County Board of Supervisorsdecided that a Multi-Species Habitat Conserva-tion Plan (MHCP) was preferable to an ongo-ing site-by-site analysis and permitting process.The MHCP is the core ofa larger project, theSonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP).Other U.S. regions have implemented theMHCP approach, but the Pima County plan isthe most comprehensive, both in its geographi-cal scope and the varied topics studied. Waterissues are integral to the plan and will be em-phasized here, although many other aspects toonumerous to mention in this short article alsoplay an important role in the plan; e.g. archaeo-logical resources and fiscal considerations.

Two years ago the Board directed staff toundertake a complex task which was to becomethe SDCP. They were to start work on a blue-print for Pima County that would satisfy re-quirements of the Endangered Species Act; pro-tect cultural resources; preserve open spacewithin such areas as ranches; provide recre-ational opportunities; and find cost-effectiveways to achieve the goals of the plan while al-lowing for provision of adequate housing andinfrastructure for residents.

The Board believed that good science wasessential to developing the plan and assembled ateam of prominent biological scientists whomet regularly as volunteers. The team included scientists from theUniversity ofArizona and state and federal agencies. They met todetermine the species to be studied, identify information to begathered and recommend studies to be undertaken.

The scientists reviewed materials developed by consultants andothers. Surveys ofthe vulnerable species provided a comprehensivepicture instead of the spotty surveys previously conducted forrezonings. The baseline information includes data on the locationsofvulnerable species, their habitat needs (including water), histori-cal and present ranges, and the significant threats they confront.

The science team identified riparian areas and their water sup-plies as critical to species survival and health. Pima County staff,the Pima Association ofGovernments and consultants prepared a

Pima Counyc Sonoran Desert Conserva-

tion Plan mapping identJ/ìed 55 perennialand 82 intermittent reachesfor 74 e4ß'rentstreams and more than 250 springs in PimaCounty. Nearly 100 potential shallow

groundwater sites are identfied and someofthe larger ones have been delineated.

(Photo: B. Teilman)

series of reports with crucial mapping of locations of perennialand intermittent streams, springs, riparian areas, and shallowgroundwater areas. Pumping occurring near those areas also wasnoted. A watercourse report by Barbara Tellman of the Water Re-sources Research Center and engineering consultants addressed thephysical properties of watercourses and identified flooding charac-teristics such as overbank storage areas and distributary/sheet flowareas. The resultant mapping will aid in identifying areas to be pre-

served as natural floodplains for flood controlpurposes and for riparian protection. Severalreports focused on aquatic species ofplants andanimals.

The entire county was divided into sub-ar-eas by watershed, with the special characteristicsand needs ofthese areas examined. Groups in-terested in specific areas did some of the re-ports. For example, in Arivaca, which is an areaof isolated shallow groundwater, a group deter-mined how much additional pumping wouldcause the cienega in the Wildlife Refuge to dryup. They found that even without rezoningswater use will quickly exceed supply. Reintro-duction of native fish and frogs has been pro-posed. This is more complex undertaking thanreleasing creatures into ponds. The processes ofrelatively natural watercourses are needed forsuccess. Studies ofnative plants and animalsshow that a natural flood-drought cycle regimeis highly beneficial to native species such as cot-tonwood trees and fish.

A comprehensive preliminary plan went tothe Board of Supervisors Sept. 26., starting apublic participation process, with final deci-sion-making occurring over a period ofmonths. The proposals include new preserves;expansion of existing preserves; agreementswith ranchers to preserve ranch lands with

good wildlife habitat; establishment ofwildlife corridors; historicaland archaeological programs; riparian protection and rehabilita-tion; reduction of invasive exotic species; changes in laws, regula-tions and procedures (such as one-stop federaland local permittingapplication); educational programs; and proposals for better man-agement ofcounty-owned lands. The proposals also call for contin-ued research and monitoring as well as additional studies on suchtopics as cost-effective methods of providing infrastructure; afford-able housing; cost ofvarious growth patterns; environmental jus-tice; and a series ofreports on vulnerable species and their habitats.

For more information on this complex plan, along with textofmajor documents, a complete list ofstudies and ordering infor-mation, see Pima County web site www.co.pima.az.us/cmo/sdcp/

September-October 2000 Arizona Water Resource 9

Announcements

AZ Game & Fish Heritage Grants

rizona Game and Fish seeks applications for its Heritage Grantswithin the following program areas: urban wildlife and urban wild-life habitat; public access; environmental education; schoolyardgrants; IIPAM (identification, inventory, acquisition, protection,and management of sensitive habitat); shooting ranges; and boatingaccess. Applications are available from the RSO, phone: 602-622-1469; email: rsou.arizona.edu or from address below. Contact:Robyn Beck, AZ Game and Fish Dept., Director's Office, Funds/Planning Section, 2221 W. Greenway Rd.,Phoenix, AZ 85023-4312. Phone: 602-789-3530;email: rbeckgf.state.az.us; website: http://www.gf.state.az.us/frames/other/index.htmDeadline is Nov. 30.

EPA Funds for EnvironmentalEducation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is soliciting grant proposals from educationalinstitutions, environmental and educationalpublic agencies and not-for-profit organiza-tions to support environmental educationprojects. A notice appeared in the Federal Reg-ister (65 FR 53146, Aug. 31, 2000). The Envi-ronmental Education Grants Program pro-vides financial support to projects that design,demonstrate, or disseminate environmentaleducation practices, methods, or techniques.Non-federal matching funds ofat least 25 per-cent oftotal cost ofthe project is required.For more information visit http://www.epa.gov/enviroed Nov. 15 is deadline forsubmitting applications.

Call for Papers/Posters: Riparian Habitatand Floodplains Conference

conference integrating California riparian and floodplain resto-ration, research, conservation, partnerships, education, policy, andbiota seeks papers in the following major theme areas: 1) conserva-tion and restoration of riparian and floodplain habitat 2) researchand technology in restoration and monitoring of riparian andfloodplain habitat; and 3) policy and programs in riparian andfloodplain management. Abstracts for papers or posters are due byNovember 17. For program information, visit http://www.tws-west.org/riparian/ or contact: Diana Craig USDA Forest Service,phone: 707-562-8930; email: dcraig01fs.fed.us or Lyann ComrackCalifornia Department Fish and Game: 858- 467-4208; email:lcomrackdfg.ca.gov

Arizona Game and Fish and EPA aresources ofenvironmental education funding.

(See notices on thispage.) Above, students

work on a water harvesting experiment in aWRRCProject WETpresentation. Photo:ValLittle.

Funding for Arid Lands Research

The International Arid Lands Consortium, which supports re-search and training on the development, management, restorationand reclamation ofarid and semiarid lands, is offering awards upto $75,000 for 12- to 30-month projects. Projects must be: 1) dem-onstration projects applying innovative knowledge and technologyderived from research for the management ofsustainable arid landsecosystems and 2) research and development projects that lead tomanagement for sustainable forest, shrubland, grassland, and

agroforestry in arid and semiarid ecologicalsystems. Also supported is research to improvemanagement ofsoil and water resources in ag-ronomic systems. For more information con-tact:Jim Chamie, TALC, 1955 E. 6th St.;phone: 520-621-3024; fax: 520-621-7834; email:jchamieag.arizona.edu. Also check web site.http://ialcworld.orProjects/rfp2001.htmlThe deadline for proposals is November 15.

Water Purification ResearchFunding

Acooperative venture involving the Nationalwater Research Institute and the U.S. Bureauof Reclamation, the National Centers for wa-ter Treatment Technologies are open to inves-tigators interested in pursuing water purifica-tion research. Funding of$10,000 also isavailable to support research. Centers are lo-cated in various areas ofthe country includingAqua 2000 in San Diego and the water Qual-ity and Improvement Center at Yuma Desalt-ing Plant. Contact the National Centers forwater Treatment Technologies, 10500 EllisAve., PO Box 20865, Fountain Valley, CA

92728-0865; phone: 714-378-3278; fax: 714-378-3375 or downloadapplication from http://www.ocwd.com/nwri/

NM Water Institute Hosts 45th Annual

Meeting

Titled "Water, Growth and Sustainability: Planning for the 2PtCentury," this conference will be held Dec. 4-6 in Albuquerque andwill examine various state and western growth and water issues, in-cluding international border water concerns, rural issues and theimpact ofdomestic wells. A Water Banking Workshop also will beconducted to discuss whether water banking will result in bettermanagement of NM water resources. For more information con-tact: NMWRRI-Water Conference, MSC 3167, Box 30001, LasCruces, NM 88003 or visit http://wrri.nmsu.edu/

lo Arizona Water Resource September-October 2000

September-October 2000

RECURRING

Arizona Hydrological Society (Flagstaff). 2nd Tuesday of themonth (during the school year). Meeting times and locations mayvary, NAU, Southwest Forest and Science Complex, 2500 S. PineKnoll Dr., Room 136, Flagstaff. Contact: Abe Springer 520-523-7198, email: abe.springeniPnau.edu

Arizona Hydrological Society (Phoenix). Usually 2nd Tuesday ofthe month, locations vary. Contact: Christie O'Day 602-379-3087,ext 224. cmodayusgs.gov or beth proffitte.proffittworldnet.att.net

Arizona Hydrological Society (Tucson). Usually 2nd Tuesday ofthe month. Contact: Mike Block 520-575-8100 ormblockmetrowater.com

Arizona Water Banking Authority (Phoenix). Next quarterlymeeting will be held on Sept. 13 at the ADWR in Phoenix. Con-tact: Nan Flores 602-417-2418.

Arizona Water for People Committee. Phoenix, meets on the2nd Thursday of even-numbered months at City of Phoenix SquawPeak Facilities, 6202 N. 24th St., Phoenix at 6 p.m. Contact DaveChristiana 602-417-2400, ext 7339; Tucson, meets the 3rd Thursdayof even-numbered months. Time and place varies. Contact SheilaBowen, 520-625-8409 or sbowencommunitywater.com

Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission. Contact: IrmaLisa Horton 602-417-2400 ext. 7016.

Arizona Water Resources Advisory Board. Phoenix, meets at theADWR lOam to 12 noon. quatterly meetings aug 4 and nov 3.Contact: Bobbie Wood 602-417-2410. bjwoodcadwr.state.az.us

Central Arizona Water Conservation District. Usually ist and3rd Thursdays of the month, time to be determined one week inadvance. CAP Board Room, 23636 N. 7th St., Phoenix. Contact:Ardis McBee 623-869-2210. amcbeecap-az.com

City of Tucson Citizens Water Advisory Committee. Usually istTuesday of the month, 7:00-9:00 am., 310 W. Alameda, Tucson.Contact: John O'Hara 520-791-5080 ext. 1446.

Maricopa Association of Governments/Water Quality AdvisoryCommittee. Contact: Lindy Bauer 602-254-6300.

Maricopa County Flood Control Advisory Board. Usually 4thWednesday of the month, 2:00 p.m., 2801 W. Durango, Phoenix.Contact: Kathy Smith 602-506-1501 or kksmail.maricopa.gov

Phoenix AMA, GUAC. Scheduled monthly, please call. Confer-ence Room A, 500 N. 3rd St. Phoenix. Contact: Mark Frank 602-417-2465.

Arizona Water Resource 11

Calendar of Events

Pima Assoc. of Governments Environmental Planning AdvisoryCommittee meets first Friday of every month at 9:30am 1:30pm.,177 N. Church St., Suite 405, Tucson. Contact: Claire Zucker 792-1903 czuckerpagnet.org.

Pima Assoc. of Governments Water Quality Subcommittee.Usually 3rd Thursday of the month, 1:30pm., 177 N. Church St.,Suite 405, Tucson. Contact: Claire Zucker 792-1903czuckercpagnet.org.

Pinal AMA, GUAC. Usually 3rd Thursday of the month, 2:00pm. Pinal AMA Conference Room, 1000 E. Racine, Casa Grande.Contact: Randy Edmond 520-836-4857.

Prescott AMA, GUAC. 2200 E. Hilisdale Rd., Prescott. Contact:Phil Foster 520-778-7202.

Santa Cruz AMA, GUAC. Usually 3rd Wednesday of the month,9:00 am, Santa Cruz AMA Conference Room, 857 W. Bell Rd, Suite3, Nogales. Contact: Kay Garrett 520-761-1814.

Tucson AMA, GUAC. Usually 3rd or 4th Friday of the month,9:00 a.m., Tucson AMA Conference Room, 400 W. Congress, Suite518, Tucson. Contact: KathyJacobs 520-770-3800.

Tucson AMA, Safe Yield Task Force. Every Wednesday. ContactKathyJacobs 520-770-3800.

Verde Watershed Association. Contact: John Parsons and TomBonomo, VWA Newsletter Editors, Verde Watershed Association,P.O. Box 4595, Camp Verde, AZ, 86322. 520-567-2496. Messagephone: 520-649-9978, email: verdewatershed?yahoo.com; websitehttp://vwa.southwest-water.org

Water Users Association of Arizona. 2nd Friday of the month atnoon (except in September). Call for reservations and exact loca-tion. Contact: Paul Gardner, 480-987-3240.

Yavapai County Flood Control District Board of Directors.Contact: Ken Spedding, 520-771-3197.

UPCOMING

Atmospheric, Surface and Subsurface Hydrology and Interac-tionsThe above conference will be held Nov. 5-8 in Research TrianglePark, North Carolina. Concurrent technical sessions include hy-drological analysis and modeling; surface/groundwater interactions;groundwater flow and transport modeling; and Latin Americanand Iberian water resources applications. For the preliminary pro-gram, registration information and forms check the website:www.aihydro.org. or write to ATH, 2499 Rice St., Suite 135, St.Paul MN 55113. phone: 65 1-44-8169; fax: 651-484-8357.

12 Arizona Water Resource

GeothcrmaL.continuedfrom pageS

and Mineral Technology (now known as the Arizona GeologicalSurvey) conducted a reconnaissance of the state's geothermal re-sources, with attention focused mainly on the southern part of thestate. The agency issued reports evaluating Arizona's geothermal po-tential. Drilling would have been the next step, but neither federalnor state funds were available to support the project. This work waspart of a national effort at that time, with federal funds providedto states to research their geothermal potential to reduce thenation's reliance on foreign oil.

Various reports resulted that showed Arìzona has many areaswith low-to-moderate-temperature fluids at depths sufficiently shal-low to tap and use for energy. Areas of geothermal activity in Ari-zona are mostly located in the basin and range providence, mainlyin the southern part of the state. Nine counties were identified ashaving such geothermal reserves including the metropolitan Phoe-nix and Tucson areas. Reports also were done to determine the geo-thermal potential for various cities, including Clifton, Scottsdale-Paradise Valley, Tucson, Wilicox and Yuma.

In the 1970s, the Geothermal Commercialization Team withinthe University of Arizona's Department of Chemical Engineeringstudied possible uses of geothermal rcsources. The team completedgeothermal development plans for Cochise, Graham, Greenlee,Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. These re-ports are available from the Arizona Geological Survey. (See the

Arizona WaterResource

THE UNI VERSIP( OF

ARIZONA®TUCSON ARIZONA

Water Resources Research CenterCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesThe t]niversiry olArizona350 N. Campbell AveTucson, AZ 85721

Address Service Requested

September-October 2000

summer issue of the Arizona Geological Survey's publication, "Ari-zona Geology," for a list of available AZGS geothermal publica-tions.)

A recent geothermal database for Arizona indicates 1,251 dis-crete thermal wells or springs in the state. The thermal fluids, how-ever, are put to traditional water resource uses; i.e., irrigation offield crops, municipal water supply and industrial uses, with littleadvantage taken of the heat carried by the waters. At present, geo-thermal aquaculture is the only major direct-use application in thestate. In fact, Arizona leads the nation in the aquacultural use ofgeothermal fluids.

The summer issue of "Arizona Geology" identifies a widerange of possible uses of geothermal energy within various sectors,including domestic, industrial and especially agriculture. Accordingto the publication the low-to-moderate-temperature geothermal flu-ids found in the state can be used to heat homes and businesses.Agriculture uses include controlled-environment agriculture, suchas greenhouses and nurseries, aquaculture, grain and vegetable dry-ing, and soil warming for mushroom growing and earthwormfarms.

The evidence points to an obvious discrepancy between cur-rent and potential geothermal applications in the state. Geothermalenergy would seem to represent an untapped potential in Arizona,presenting opportunities yet to be developed.

NON-PROFIT ORG.US l'OSTA(;E

PM!)TUCSON, ARIZONA

PERMIT NO. 190