The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 13 counties in Arizona as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred during the period of January 1, through Dec. 31, 2009.

The 13 counties are: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yavapai.

Farm operators in La Paz and Yuma counties also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

"President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage ... and we want to help," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The USDA designation will make "...all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses."

A news release from the Department of Agriculture is available here.

ADWR assistant director Mike Johnson will spend two years as a member of National Dam Safety Review Board, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced. Dr. Johnson's term began October 1.

"This is a great honor for Mike and for the agency," said ADWR Director Herb Guenther. "Mike is one of the key people whose intelligence and drive make this agency go."

The 11-member Review Board includes representatives from the five federal agencies that own and/or regulate dams - the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, FEMA and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Board also includes five state dam safety officials and one private-sector member.

The responsibilities of the Review Board include advising the administrator of FEMA, consulting with FEMA on funding for states participating in the National Dam Safety Program, and monitoring state implementation of the assistance program.

Dr. Johnson is assistant director for the Surface Water Division. The division is responsible for:

• Safety of all nonfederal dams in Arizona;

• Operation and management of the statewide flood warning system;

• Assisting communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program;

• Establishing state standards for Floodplain Management; and

• Allocating the right to use Arizona’s surface water resources in a fair and equitable manner.

Dr. Johnson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona and Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University, where he has served as an adjunct faculty member. He started with ADWR in 2000 as a dam safety engineer.

Governor Jan Brewer's budget director told state agency heads: "The state now faces significant shortfalls in cash flow, as sufficient revenue is not readily available to meet obligations."

On top of heavy cuts already imposed, "Every agency is being asked to meet a (further) reduction target of 15 percent of the agency’s FY 2010 budget," Eileen Klein said.

"In doing so, you should prioritize services based on what is most essential and what the voters or courts have mandated be offered. If we are to ensure the long-term viability of the state, we must restore fiscal order and adjust our operational capacity to a sustainable level." Look here for the proposal.

While many homeowners are seeing their water bills spike this summer, using a little WaterSense can help you save. When the mercury rises on the thermometer, so does water use. During “peak water season,” which usually coincides with the high summer months of July, August, and, yes, September, we consume three to five times the water we need during the rest of the year. See the news release for more.

Following Governor Jan Brewer’s commitment to collaboration on water resource issues, Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Herb Guenther, Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Kris Mayes, and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Ben Grumbles will direct a statewide effort to boost water sustainability through increased conservation and recycling. For additional information, see the news release.

The Irrigation Association named July Smart Irrigation Month in order to promote efficient watering practices, technologically advanced irrigation products, and water conservation. Smart Irrigation Month helps raise awareness of water-efficient products, practices, and services. Visit the Irrigation Association's web site for more information. See more information on saving water in our Conservation section.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources asks the public to do its part in educating, celebrating and taking action to promote conservation.

"All citizens of Arizona should use water as efficiently as possible and practice a low water-use lifestyle as a way to help ensure a long-term sufficient water supply," ADWR Director Herb Guenther said.

"There are many ways to strengthen Arizona's 'culture of conservation' and through our combined efforts we will succeed."

ADWR is answering the call by conducting a series of workshops and Web-inars on water conservation practices; participating in school water-use audits, promoting xeriscape, offering leak-detection opportunities to Arizona water providers, providing low-water-use pre-rinse spray valves to Arizona eateries and participating at various water-education events around the state, including Make a Splash with Arizona Project WET Water Festivals.

Sources of information on conservation are nearly inescapable; especially at www.azwater.gov. ADWR offers the following suggestions:

* Listen to an ADWR-sponsored online Web-inar about water efficiency. The schedule is at www.azwater.gov. You need only a computer and a phone.
* Plant low-water use, drought-tolerant landscapes and group plants based on water needs. See www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/Residential/.
* Water correctly - even xeriscapes can waste water.
* The ADWR Web site is chock-full of great water-saving ideas. They're inexpensive and they work. See them at www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/Technologies/.
* Restaurateurs, ADWR has a blue plate special - replace your old high-flow spray valves with the water-efficient "Rinse Smart" valve. They're free and they work.
* Install high-efficiency toilet and think about "waterless" urinals, too.
* Install water-efficient devices, such as faucet aerators, shut-off nozzles and showerheads.
* Check for indoor and outdoor leaks often and fix them immediately.
* Remember the water-energy connection. Saving water saves energy.
* Teachers in Arizona will find an amazing array of conservation lessons already prepared and ready for the classroom.
Find out more by attending an Arizona Conserve Water Workshop for Educators. The information is at www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/Education/.

One of the most enjoyable, and instructive, ways to embrace the "culture of conservation" is by conducting a water-use audit, either at school or in the home. For more information, visit www.azwater.gov.

... from White Mountain Independent

 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar honored the Arizona Department of Water Resources for its work on achieving a landmark agreement on how to operate the Colorado River.

Tom Carr, assistant ADWR director and a key figure in reaching the agreement, was in Washington, D.C., to accept the award on behalf of ADWR. The honor also went to two organizations related to ADWR – the Arizona Water Banking Authority and the Arizona Water Institute

Joining Arizona in the “Partner in Conservation” award were the remaining six states that border on the Colorado River, a 1,400-mile waterway that provides water to 23 million people and 2 million irrigated acres in the Colorado Basin and northwestern Mexico. The award also was shared by dozens of Indian tribes, environmental advocates and resource-management groups.

Salazar recognized the participants for finalizing an agreement known as the Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lakes Powell and Mead.

The guidelines were developed during a period of severe drought, declining reservoir levels and continued growth in demand for water. The agreement, also known as the Interim Guidelines, has been hailed as the most significant change in river management since the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922.

These guidelines, and the associated Record of Decision (“ROD”), represent the culmination of talks between the seven basin states and the Interior Department on how to manage the lower Colorado River during times of shortage, and how to coordinate the operations between the two largest reservoirs on the Colorado River. The agreement will be in effect until 2026.